Managing Flight Delays And Cancellations

Southwest Airlines

Similar to thousands of others, I too was stranded in a airport by Southwest Airlines during this past Christmas weekend. After spending time with family in Fort Lauderdale, I was scheduled to board a flight to Dallas on Christmas Day with a layover in Tampa.

The morning of Christmas Day, I spent 4 hours on the phone holding for Southwest customer service in an attempt to get any information regarding my flight that was scheduled to depart at 7pm but was now showing a delayed departure of 8pm. Unfortunately, Southwest phone lines were back up with so many callers that I was never able to get through to speak with someone- finally I was informed that my connecting flight to Dallas had been canceled.

The cancellation left me stranded in Tampa airport with no flight options to Dallas for at least 4 days and no hotels available within 50 miles. Frustrated and tired I began to figure out my options which eventually helped me to get home to Dallas 3 days before my rescheduled booking. Being stranded in another city by an airline can be extremely frustrating but knowing your options and rights can help to soothe an uncomfortable situation:

1. Don’t Panic - being stranded is extremely frustrating and it can be easy to take your frustrations on the gate agents. It’s important to remember these airline employees are just that…employees. They have no control over the flight delays and cancellations. These employees want nothing more to keep the flow of traffic going but decisions to delay or cancel flights are out of their control. These employees are your only source of help in this scenario. Being polite and courteous can go a long way in getting the assistance you need to get to your destination. 

2. Request For Rebooking - inquire with the gate agents or customer service regarding your options to rebook for the next departing flight to your destination. Outside of the holiday seasons, rebooking options are usually for the next flight out that day or the next morning. During my experience with Southwest, most rebooking options were unavailable for 4-7 days for all major cities in Southwest routes. If your stranded in a city where you have no local family or friends, this can be costly as the airline may try to not provide hotel accommodations for that length of time. 

3. Request To Be Placed On Standby - in addition to rebooking, ALWAYS request to be placed on standby for the first flight scheduled to your destination. Standby doesn’t guarantee a seat on the flight but if another passenger cancels or misses their flight, as a standby passenger you’re able to take the available seat.

4. Fly To The Next Closest City To Your Destination - finding a flight to your destination might take several days however another option is flying to another city close to your destination. In my case, Southwest includes routes to Houston, Austin, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa which are all within 4 hours drive to Dallas. If flights to your destination are canceled, inquire about flights to cities within driving range of your destination. This options might allow you to travel to your destination a lot sooner if the cancellations are isolated to a particular city. 

5. Request A Refund To Rebook With Another Airlines- in certain circumstances an Airline when at fault will allow passengers to request an on the spot refund to rebook with another airlines. Instead of rebooking with the same airlines and waiting days to get to your destination, another option is rebooking with a different airlines traveling to your destination. Remember if you choose to rebook with another airlines due to cancellations by your airline, you are entitled to a FULL refund by law even for non refundable tickets. 

6. Request For a Flight Voucher And/Or Accommodations- airlines like most corporations will not inform you of your entitled compensations due to cancellation or delays at fault of the airlines. It’s important to remember that weather related delays or cancellations don’t require the airlines to provide compensations to its passengers. According to the Department of Transportation, each airline is required by law to provide certain accommodations for cancelled or delayed flight not related to weather. For example, Southwest is required by law to provide hotel accommodations for overnight stays, transportation to and from hotel, and a meal voucher. Make sure your always aware of the compensation you are entitled to by law as sometimes the airlines will try to avoid providing these compensations. Each airlines required accommodations by law can be found on the Department of Transportation’s website.

7. Baggage- despite your flight being canceled or delayed, the airline is required to send your luggage to its final destination on the first available flight. If your luggage is lost or damaged, the law requires that the airlines provide reasonable reimbursement up to $3,000 for expenses such as having to buy new clothing. Remember to keep all receipts and submit them for reimbursement to the airlines. 

I was fortunate enough to only be stranded overnight but the hundreds of other passengers in Tampa airport would be stranded for days. It’s important to know your options and rights when airlines cancel or delay flights.This knowledge is your best option of getting you to your final destination.