What to do if your flight is canceled
Stranded travelers at an American Airlines gate at Kennedy Airport after last month’s blizzard. Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin
Weather can disrupt travel, and winter storms can be particularly tough.
The recent holidays brought flight cancellations for travelers in the Northeast. Back-to-back storms caused nearly 10,000 flight cancellations over five days starting Dec. 25.
Under airlines policies known as force majeure (greater force), if an event happens that is considered an act of God - such as storms, flooding or volcanic eruptions - an airline can cancel a flight. If it can't put you on another flight within a reasonable time, you can get a full refund, even on nonrefundable tickets.
Here are some things to consider:
IF YOUR FLIGHT IS CANCELED AND THE FORECAST IS FULL OF BAD WEATHER
Weigh your options on rebooking vs. getting a refund. If you haven't departed, consider canceling your reservation and getting the money back for your airfare. In most cases, you can cancel your hotel and car rental without penalty.
IF YOU ALREADY HAVE DEPARTED AND BAD WEATHER HITS
You're better off being rebooked on a new flight. If you're trying to get home as soon as possible and you're offered a seat on a flight that's days later than your original flight, take the seat, then call later and see if you can get an earlier flight.
IF YOUR FLIGHT IS CANCELED AND YOU WANT TO GO ON A DIFFERENT FLIGHT
Call the airline and make sure you get a confirmed seat assignment. You do not want to fly standby, because you could get stuck for days.
IF YOU'RE ALREADY AT THE AIRPORT
There isn't much you can do besides get in line and call the airline while you're waiting. The number of agents answering phones is minimal, so you could be on hold for a very long time. If you get a message to call back later, be persistent and hit the redial button.
