One of the worst things about flying is experiencing flight delays.
It's never fun to discover that you are going to
miss a connecting flight due to a delay and then finding yourself scrambling to
get yourself rebooked on the next flight before everyone else does.
So in this video I am going to share with you some steps that you can take
to help prevent the chances of experiencing a delayed flight
so let's get into it.
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So let's get into the first way to help prevent a flight delay which
is to look at the on-time performance for each flight that you want to book.
You can find this information on the US Bureau of Transportation's website
that will allow you to search by flight number as well as compare by airline or even by airport.
You can also use sites like Flightaware and Flight Stats to find this information.
If you see flights that have a history of delays
and cancellations then you probably want to consider an alternate flight.
The second way to prevent a delay is to book an early flight.
I myself do not like to book early morning flights but
being one of the first flights out in the morning has its advantages.
Early morning flights are less affected by delays that ripple through the route
system as the day progresses, meaning they are more likely to
take off on time because these planes are already at the gate ready for passengers.
As opposed to waiting for your plane to arrive from another city.
Not only are early morning flights typically on schedule but because of
their unpopular departure times they are often among the cheapest fares.
Another way to prevent a flight delay is to book a non-stop flight.
There is a reason non-stop flights are sometimes more expensive than connecting flights.
Not only does it save you time, but it also saves you significant hassle.
In my opinion and experience it will reduce your chances of a delayed flight by half.
If non-stops are not available for the city you are traveling to just
make sure you are booking your flight wisely.
If it's winter time, like it is now at the time of this video's release,
you want to avoid connecting in cities like Chicago, Philadelphia,
Minneapolis, New York, places that might get hit with snow and cause delays.
Cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas or Houston,
Phoenix would be much better options to connect to in the winter time.
In summer some airports have better on-time ratings than others
so take that into account when selecting your route.
The next way to prevent a delayed flight is to be proactive at the gate.
If you know boarding should begin soon but don't see a plane at your gate,
this should clue you in that the delay might be coming.
You can check the whereabouts of your plane by searching for the flight number on flightaware.com
This will show you where your plane is on a map and its current ETA.
If you can see that your flight is definitely going to be delayed
then you can start taking action before a delay is even announced.
Start by moving yourself closer to the gate agent
so that you can be one of the first people in line to rebook.
And then start looking at other available flights that you can get on so that if a delay occurs
you can quickly tell the gate agent exactly which flight you would like to be rebooked on.
Depending on how your flight was booked, you might even be
able to change your flight on the airline's website without having to see a gate agent.
To go along with this, you should also save the airline's reservation number
just in case you find yourself in a long line to get rebooked.
You may be able to reach someone quicker by phone than by the time you reach a gate agent.
You should also save the numbers for the hotels and resorts you are staying at
as you may also need to make changes to your accommodations as well.
Yet another way to prevent a delay is to check the weather.
A couple days before your flight check the weather forecast for the city
you are departing from, any connecting cities, and for your final destination.
If you see storms in the forecast then you might want to consider changing
your flight time or connecting city to avoid a delay or even a cancellation,
especially if you are heading somewhere you can't be late to.
If you do end up experiencing a delay or cancellation caused
by weather it's important to know your rights.
When a storm hits that causes thousands of flights to be delayed or cancelled
the airlines are in a mad scramble to get everyone rebooked however they can.
The rules vary by airline so you will need to refer to the airline's contract of carriage
for what they are willing to do in the event of excessive delays and cancellations.
Very few airlines these days offer meal or hotel vouchers but it never hurts to ask.
Most airlines will waive change fees during major weather events.
Although most of the major airlines these days
have done away with change fees permanently since the start of the pandemic.
If you end up not liking your rebooking options then you can request a refund
even if you bought a non-refundable ticket.
And if weather conditions appear just iffy in your connecting city
then you can request to be rerouted through a different city if available.
Many travel insurance policies can help
cover the cost associated with a flight delay or cancellation
For example, if you scheduled the last flight out of the day
and it ends up canceling, the airline is most likely not going to give you a hotel voucher.
At best they may offer you frequent flyer points or a flight voucher meaning you are
going to have to shell out the extra money to extend your stay by getting a hotel room
and paying for extra meals you were not planning on.
If you had travel insurance on the other hand,
these expenses will get reimbursed to you saving you the expense.
Just make sure you purchase travel insurance before your trip to get that protection.
If you found this video helpful make sure you check out some of my other
videos that will help with your travel planning.
You can check those out by clicking or tapping the screen.
Thank you so much for watching this one and I can't wait to see you in a future video.