How to Outwit Airline Delays, Cancelled Flights, and Involuntary Bumping This Summer

Thank you for re-posting this article. It has some very helpful advice.

It's a good reminder to use flightaware to track to inbound flight

Staying up with the tracking (FlightAware) and the Airline Apps is helpful. Knowing what your options are (and being informed) can help with patience when you know what's going on.

I was on a flight from McAllen Tx to DFW with a final destination of LGA. We were diverted to San Antonio because of a medical emergency on board. Due to the sick passenger using both O2 tanks, we weren't allowed to fly without full ones and they had none in San Antonio. The airline was going through all sorts of machinations deciding what to do with the flight and us. Knowing DFW wasn't my final stop, I reached out as soon as the delay was announced to the airline through the interwebs and was able to re-route to LGA from San Antonio (had to connect in CLT). I was already boarding my flight while the rest of the passengers were still waiting to find out how they were getting to DFW.

Meanwhile, on another flight to SMF where I connected in DFW, engine trouble forced us to land in Lubbock TX. The Airline tried to get replacement equipment to us but the flight crew timed out. Lubbock is the middle of nowhere and flights are minimal so we had to spend the night. With being in touch with the airline through their app, I knew how the airline was trying to get us out but then ultimately not able to. It certainly helped keep me from getting frustrated because I knew what was going on. When I saw the line at the counter for vouchers and bus transfers for an overnight hotel, again I reached out through the app to the airline to see if I could still get compensated if I made my own arrangements. They said I would be (I don't remember how). Thanks to the rental car and hotel apps on my phone, I was able to get a car and hotel room and was out of the airport way before all the other passengers even had their vouchers. I found out the next morning how bad it had been for them. They didn't get to the hotel until very late and there was another long wait at registration because the hotel wasn't prepared for them. Then, due to the hour, there was little to no food available.

Sorry for the long stories. Takeaway, stay informed and be proactive.

The advice given isn't necessarily bad, but it would be nice if there were a more fair system for dealing with delays and canceled flights than the "survival of the fittest" competition with the people who are slightly more advantaged with knowledge or technology emerging head and shoulders above the ordinary folks.

What about Superman? He doesn't SIT in the back or the front.

Did you use the airline app to chat or just rebook. Thank you

This article is right about airline loyalty! Delta almost always treats her loyal passengers right!

Travel via ground-based transportation to Canada or Mexico and take a flight from there.

The answer? Don't fly.

Believe it or not, a couple of years ago, on the U.S. Memorial Day holiday I was sitting in my front yard, and a C-17 (with its landing gear tucked away) came down my street at a very low altitude and then entered a climbing right turn. Evidently, it was a very low-altitude flyby for a holiday patriotic parade, nearby. It left me shaking, and I am used to being around large aircraft.