You are no doubt aware of the recent woes plaguing air travel
A morning that was supposed to be just a brief layover before a connecting flight to your destination can turn into an all-day affair, spent pacing the corridor of an airport.
The large influx of travelers in 2024, combined with airline staffing shortages, has led to crowding at check-in counters, security checkpoints, and runways. This has led to longer waiting times, flight delays and even cancellations.
The last two words are every passenger’s worst nightmare, but unfortunately, this is a situation that is becoming more and more common. I am confident that things will look up soon as airlines adapt and address the challenges.
But what can we do in the meantime? Drawing on my knowledge and years of experience planning successful trips for my clients, I have put together this brief guide to navigating the challenges of air travel in 2024 and planning a smoother trip.
Connecting Flights
In an ideal world, all flights would be nonstop. But realistically, that’s not going to happen. That means you’ll probably be forced to book connecting flights. These flights require passengers to leave the plane and transfer to another plane to reach their final destination.
The biggest complaint passengers have about this “hub and spoke” model is missing their connecting flight. While you can never completely eliminate this risk, there are several things you can do to make it as painless as possible.
If a layover is unavoidable, it’s almost always better to book the entire journey with the same airline, rather than with separate airlines for each leg of the trip.
The truth is that airlines are usually more considerate and helpful to their own passengers than those from other carriers.
Therefore, an airline is more likely to go out of their way to adjust your connecting flight.
Consider the weather forecasts in your connecting city. Heavy snowfall, thunderstorms, fog, and other local weather issues can often cause you to miss a connecting flight.
Find out the estimated connection time. There are online tools you can use to estimate your layover time or ask your personal travel consultant (if you have one). I recommend that you always allow at least 4 hours of layover time, especially for international flights.
Travelers with special needs – for example, people with physical disabilities or families with young children – may need even more time to navigate a large airport. You should also plan for a longer connecting time if you are traveling at a busy time of year (e.g., Thanksgiving or Labor Day weekend).
What if your layover is shorter than recommended? If possible, choose seats at the front of the plane so that you are one of the first to exit the plane and make your way to the next gate.
Always take a map of the airport with you. This will help you get from one gate to the next quickly and easily.
Book an early flight (we are talking 5-7:00 am), as it is more likely to leave on time, giving you a better chance of catching your connecting flight. Delays are usually compensated for at night, as this is the least busy time both on the runways and in the airspace.
Consequently, morning flights generally take off on time!
Consider the worst-case scenario of missing a connecting flight. As frustrating as this may be, this is not the time to panic or feel helpless. In most cases, airlines will automatically reroute you to the next flight to your destination.
Unfortunately, the next flight may not leave until the next day or even a few days later.
If you are proactive in trying to rebook the flight yourself, the airline will usually accommodate this. In one of my other posts, I pointed out that one of the ways to protect yourself from the cost of missed connections is to purchase travel insurance.
This is important if you are investing a lot of time and money in a trip, such as a safari or a luxury ocean cruise. If something goes wrong, insurance companies are there to help you with travel disruptions like missed connections.
Again, working with a personal travel advisor can make all the difference.
Overbooking on Planes
As a traveler, you may have seen the term “overbooking.” The truth is that overbooking is more common than you may realize. It is a prevalent practice in the industry for airlines to overbook flights to more passengers than their planes can accommodate.
Why do airlines overbook their flights?
The short answer is economics: airlines want to make sure that every flight is as full as possible to maximize their profits. By routinely overbooking, the airline can recoup the cost of canceled flights and no-shows.
This system sometimes doesn’t work, especially if the airlines is overselling flights even more than usual, which in turn has increased the number of passengers getting bumped from their flights.
When a flight is overbooked, the airline asks for volunteers to take another flight in exchange for a future travel voucher.
If not enough volunteers can be found, the airline will select passengers to give up their seats. This is called “involuntary denied boarding” or “bumping”.
Passengers who are bumped from their flight due to overbooking are entitled to compensation based on the price of their ticket, the length of the delay in arriving at their destination, and whether their flight is domestic or international.
This compensation is called “denied boarding compensation” or “DBC” for short. For a delay lasting less than 1 hour, you won’t receive any compensation. Longer delays can receive 200% (1 to 4 hour arrival delay) to 400% (over 4 hour delay) of your one-way fare.
If you are forced to wait at the airport longer than planned, the airline is supposed to provide food and drinks to keep you comfortable. It’s not just good hospitality, in some cases it’s a requirement.
If you absolutely must be on your assigned flight, make sure you pre select a seat, even if you have to pay an additional fee.
If you did not receive a seat assignment when you purchased your ticket, call the airline or check their website about two days before your flight to see if any seats have been freed up in their system.
Not having a seat assignment does not mean you will be bumped from your flight, but it does increase your chances in case of an overbooking.
Also, make sure you make your airline’s check-in deadlines. Nowadays, check-in counters for international flights are open 3 hours in advance so it is recommended to go as early as this.
This will allow you to check in your luggage before your flight, and make your way to the gate on time. Late arrivals and people without seat assignments have the lowest priority when boarding their flights.
Flight Cancellations
Traveling by air in the last few years has become quite unpredictable. We all expect our flight to go smoothly and get to our destination on time. But hundreds of thousands of other travelers have not been so lucky lately.
Thousands of flights are now being canceled every week. The reality is that many airlines are dealing with widespread problems such as staff shortages and air traffic control issues.
Many travelers are justifiably frustrated when they consider that the high number of disruptions is affecting what may be their first trip in a few years.
Unfortunately, things are not likely to get much better anytime soon.
In light of the recent spike in flight cancellations, here are tips on how to increase your chances of reaching your destination as quickly as possible.
While past performance is no guarantee of future performance, it’s at least a good indicator.
Aviation intelligence company FlightAware regularly compiles data on flight delay and cancelations. Here’s a list of the top 10 worst airports in terms of flight cancellations for summer 2022.
Before you book a flight, I recommend you take a look at this list, because you might want to reconsider your choice of airline.
Look at smaller, regional airports as an alternative to get to your destination. Bigger airports have more passengers and more flights, so there’s a greater chance of something going wrong with the flight schedules. On the other hand, smaller airports are often less prone to flight cancellations.
Book a midweek flight. The reason for this is that air traffic is less busy in the middle of the week. Fewer passengers means shorter check-in lines, less runway traffic, fewer planes in the air, and consequently fewer flight cancellations and a smoother travel experience.
Avoid busy travel periods. The more flights scheduled, the greater the likelihood of flight disruption. We have all seen how chaotic airports can get during the summer or the holidays. During this time, options are limited due to the large number of travelers.
That said, here are a few tips to make your vacation travel easier and reduce the likelihood of flight cancellations:
- Try to book a much earlier date to avoid the crowds – at least a week in advance. Another option would be to travel on the day of the vacation (e.g Christmas Day) – when the airports are less crowded.
- Choose an airline with multiple flights per day. If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook you on the next flight with available seats at no additional cost. If your airline offers multiple flights per day on the same route, you may only have to wait a few hours before you resume your trip.
Understand your rights. Knowing passengers’ rights can be complicated, as they depend on the type of fare you purchased, the countries you are flying to and from, and the cause of the cancellation.
That’s why I recommend working with a personal travel advisor as they are often well versed with passenger rights and will help you understand how everything works.
Generally speaking, if the airline has no control over the cancellation (e.g adverse weather conditions, strikes, etc) you are not entitled to compensation. However, If the airline is responsible for the cancellation, you are entitled to some level of compensation.
For example, the airline may provide you with meals and accommodations.
In any case, the airline is obligated to rebook you on the next available flight. Some airlines have agreements with other airlines under interline agreements. This allows passengers to swap flights if there are no other direct flights available. If rebooking doesn’t work for you, you are entitled to a refund of the airfare.
Lost Baggage
You just got off the plane and are in a new country, ready for a fantastic vacation! You can already imagine the awesome people you’ll meet, the food you’ll indulge in, maybe a few late nights, and some unforgettable stories.
You stand at the baggage carousel waiting for your suitcase to be unloaded before you can begin your adventures. Time passes and the suitcases from your flight stop coming.
A terrible realization hits your jetlagged mind: my bag is missing!
Due to the pandemic, airlines have taken drastic cost-cutting measures that have resulted in fewer staff working the baggage carousels.
As a result, the number of mishandled or temporarily lost bags gone up. If you are one of the unlucky ones, what do you do?
Stay calm! Panicking will not help you. Yes, this situation can be stressful and terrifying, but you will get through it.
The chances of getting lost luggage back are actually quite good. The vast majority of “lost” luggage is actually just delayed. About 97% of lost luggage is returned to its owner within 2 days, and less than 5% of all lost luggage is actually never returned.
Report your loss to the baggage claim office and provide as many details as possible about your luggage – shape, size, color, etc., as well as the address of the hotel you will be staying in.
Tee’s Travel Tip: Take a picture of your luggage with your phone before you check it in so you have a recent image to show the claims officer if this does happen to you.
Some airlines require that you report a lost bag within a certain number of hours, so don’t waste any time.
By reporting it, you accomplish two important things.
First, you let the airline know that they need to look for your bag.
The good news is that airlines today have very sophisticated baggage tracking systems that allow them to locate lost luggage relatively quickly and get it there on the next flight.
Second, a paper trail will be generated that will allow you to be reimbursed for the items you purchased because of your missing luggage.
Ask for a copy of the report, write down the name of the person who helped you, and get a phone number (useful to get back in touch if your bag is not found).
Do not wait for them to call you, be proactive and ask for updates.
Some airlines will reimburse you if your bag is lost or delayed. Also check with your credit card company or travel insurance company, which may reimburse you for your lost bag.
Carry essentials with you, especially on long-haul trips. This sounds like a no-brainer, but not enough people put it into practice.
Simply pack your carry-on as if you know you’ll lose your checked bag for a few days. That means all your essential medications, toiletries, electronics, charges and a change of clothes.
If you must take connecting flights, avoid at the very least short layovers, as these increase the risk of lost luggage.
If your connecting flight is very short (less than an hour), there is also less time to transfer your luggage to the next flight.
Before your trip, make sure you remove any old stickers or baggage tags from previous trips. These contain routing information and could send your luggage to another (wrong) location.
Mark your bags to distinguish them from those of other passengers.
Whether it’s bias tape in interesting patterns or a colorful scarf that you tie to the handle, have something that will make your luggage stand out.
Make sure your luggage has a tag that has your name, email address and phone number on it. If you want to take it a step further, you can purchase a luggage tracking device like AirTag, which allows you to track your personal items in real time.
What happens if lost luggage can not be recovered?
The U.S. Department of Transportation sets the laws for lost baggage on American domestic flights. For international flights, the Montreal Convention sets the guidelines.
In both cases, if your baggage is truly lost, the airline is required to compensate you for the lost items. You will not get the full price of the lost items, but a depreciated amount, unless you can prove that the lost items were brand new.
I also recommend buying a travel insurance policy that covers valuable items such as jewelry & high-tech devices. In the event, the airport losses your luggage you can reach out to your insurance provider for reimbursement
That’s why it’s always a good idea to take a photo of the items in your checked baggage. Or, keep a list of the items you packed in the suitcase before you check it.
Get Professional Flight Booking and Management Service
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Just tell me what you are looking for, and I’ll make it happen. I’ll plan the most efficient flight itineraries, book your seat options in Business, First Class or Economy Plus, take care of checked baggage and seat assignments, keep you updated on the status of your flight, and help you with any unexpected cancellations or delays.
These are just some of the services I offer to my clients. Feel free to reach out and schedule a free consultation call.