TIPS FOR WEATHER DELAYS & CANCELLATIONS

With Hurricane Sandy hitting the East Coast soon, I was helping some folks figure out their travel plans out of the area. It helps calm the nerves when you know your way around and what to do when weather puts a dent in your plans.

A couple of tips:

1) Be Aware of Flight Status: Know what's going on. Not just with your flight, but where your incoming aircraft is coming from, what's happening at the airports you're flight in and out of. Look at what other flights flying into your airport are saying. If many of them are delayed/canceled, there is a good chance yours might too.

• All of this information is available on www.flightaware.com. Check it often and early. 
• Search Tip: You can get quick flight status info from your mobile phone or any browser by Googling your flight number.
• Sign up for Text / Email Alerts: When you book tickets with an airline, you can ask for them to send you an alert about your flight status. You don't want to show up at the airport just to find out that your flight was canceled. This will also help you be the first in the queue to get better tickets.
• Other transportation: In the case of Sandy, it would help to know what public transportation will be available. If you were planning on taking the subway to the airport on Sunday, you'd be screwed bc they stopped running at 7pm.

2) Changing Your Flight:

• Look for an advisory from your airline: Most airlines will issue a statement or advisory saying that they will change your flights without a fee within a certain window of time.
• Change it early! If the weather reports say that the storm is hitting on Monday, try to get out on Sunday. We all heard the weather reports on Friday, so why not be the first to grab the seats on the Sunday flights? If you're supposed to fly in on Tuesday (when the storm is still in the area), be the first to change your flight to Wednesday when airports are likely to be open. Sometimes it is just less stressful to know you have a reliable plan instead of wasting time just tracking flight status.
• Change Your Reservation Online: It will probably be faster if you just change your reservation online. Even if you have to pay for internet at the airport for 30 minutes, it is probably worth it. If that doesn't work, stand in line at the customer service counter, but call the airline at the same time. Most likely you'll get a representative on the phone before you are able to talk to a representative face to face. Also, do your research and see what options you have so you have an idea of what you want to ask for.
• Customer Service #: Save the customer service number on your phone. But also, the agents at the desk sometimes have an emergency customer help number which is faster. Make sure you get that number from the agent. If you are a frequent flyer, call the number. 
• If you have to stay a night: You can certainly sleep at the airport but I have never done it. Airlines get discount rates at certain hotels and they will often hand out some code. I forgot to pick that up from the agent because I was impatient, but I asked the hotel for the discount anyway (and got it!)
• Don't go to the airport IF your flight is canceled and there is inclement weather. You might just wait in lines and get stuck at the airport with no way out.

3) If you're really in a bind: 

• Book a new ticket with a new airline and cancel the ticket you have. Check your cancelation policy first, of course, but most airlines will give you a credit back for your old ticket. This all depends on the price and how willing you are to spend the $.
• Just get a flight somewhere outside of the storm path (or drive or train it). A good choice would be one that is a hub for your airline. More likely to get a reliable flight where the weather is okay.
• Rent a car and drive to a different airport. My sister was told she was going to be stuck in Green Bay WI for Christmas because her flight home was canceled and the flights were booked for days because of the holiday. I advised her to somehow fly or drive to another airport. She did. She flew to O'Hare (good choice), spent a night but got home on Christmas eve. 
• Ask for Connecting Flights and/or Flights with overnight layover (if you're willing). 
• Ask to be put on the same-day standby list. Most likely they will tell you that the flights are booked for the day or even the following day. But if it's a stormy day, there is a chance that some people will cancel or not make it. If you're willing to hang out at the airport, insist that they put you on the standby list.

4) Preventative Measures: 

• Avoid last flights of the day: During thunderstorm season or snow season, you might want to avoid the last flight of the day. They are more likely to be canceled because they just can't keep delaying your flight.
• Check airport performance: Small feeder airports
• Book direct flights rather than connecting flights if possible (especially if you're connecting through small airports)
• Book on larger planes: Some of the small shuttle planes have difficulty in bad weather.
• Carry on your luggage: They are more likely to rebook a passenger on standby and the like if your luggage is with you.
• Sign up for a frequent flyer program: Access to lounges, premier desk, customer service is really worth it.

5) Make the Most of it!

• Know all your benefits: Know what you can get - meals, lodging, waived fees, etc. I heard that the benefits are different across airlines and countries.
• Explore the airport or the city you're stuck in: I just wrote a post with tips and ideas for what to explore for long layovers, but this also applies to people who might be stuck. Check out the business lounge if you have access.
• Pay for internet: I think it is worth it to have connectivity with the outside world, to be able to be the first to know what is going on, and to have a little bit of fun (or get some work done)
• See a friend: Maybe there's a friend that you hardly see in that city? Give 'em a call. 

Others agree with these tips and have others:

• http://www.consumertraveler.com/today/6-clues-that-your-flight-may-be-cancelled-or-not/
• http://www.budgettravel.com/blog/how-to-avoid-flights-that-may-get-canceled,12048/
• http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/publications/delays.htm
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/hurricane-sandy-airlines-cancellations_n_2038675.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003 

Did I miss any other important tips? Let me know.