• Home
  • About
  • Travel
  • San Francisco
  • Lifestyle
  • Real Estate
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn

Urbanista Girl

Surviving Air Travel When Your Plans Go Wrong

Travel

26 Oct

I once heard a saying years ago.. “your true self is exposed when you come head-on with an issue at an airport.” Hopefully, this isn’t true. That would confirm that, well, my true self isn’t that pretty. Some would consider it down right crazy. Whose with me?! Over the last seven years I’ve gone back and forth from California to my family’s house on the East Coast. Days filled with domestic and international work travel, and the best kind of travel – just for fun. I’ve literally seen it all when it comes to having flights delayed, cancelled, derailed, and, yes, even being told I’d be stuck for eight days (insert ugly crying here). Dealing with flight and transportation delays is the not-so-pretty side of frequent traveling that not many people talk about. You won’t see a travel blogger posting an iPhone picture eating Chex Mix on an airport floor, but you will see the ocean front beach chair that took her three days to arrive to. You have to take the good with the bad, friends. Even though most don’t show this not-so-pretty side behind their beautiful Instagram photos at the beach the next morning, I’m hear to tackle it! My top tips on how to deal below.

I mentioned in my first post from the Amalfi Coast that our already 14-hour itinerary from San Francisco-Paris-Naples turned into a nightmare-ish 25 hour travel day. Or, don’t remind me how my Thanksgiving flight to the east coast two years ago was cancelled while boarding, and I spent the next 15 minutes booking the last seat on the next flight to Boston, on the dirty ground of the airport, from, get this, a different airport in the same city, then waiting for my bags to be returned to me, spending $150 on Ubers between airports, and paying over $1k for a one-way middle seat, just so I’d be able to make it home to spend the holiday with my family. Don’t remind my boyfriend about the time last January when we were told we’d be stuck on the east coast for eight days, and had to drive five hours to the other *nearest* airport in order to get the last 5am flight out before a big nor’easter hit. That sudden flight purchase for two adults is something I’d like to forget hitting my bank account! These stories are just scratching the surface of disastrous, pricey, and miserable travel day(s) I’ve experienced. That said, travel is so beyond special to me, and I’m sure you too if you’re reading this, that we push through and learn the best way to handle things when they go very, very wrong.

Know your rights:

  • Make sure to understand the rules of your carrier of choice. You’d be surprised how greatly they differ. Some examples:
    • Southwest change fees are free, as long as the fair is the same, while most airlines charge $250 per change, plus the difference in fair
    • My personal favorite, Rule 420, which requires the airline to transfer travelers to another carrier if they are offering a sooner available flight. This rule is only valid if the cancelled or delayed flight was not incurred by acts of god, like bad weather
    • Another useful law while traveling in the EU – European Union Regulation (EC) 261/2004. This rule states common rules on compensation for passengers that have experienced long travel delays, or cancellations. This rule is much more more generous than any carrier rules in the United States. I recently referenced this for our Italy trip (mentioned above), after experiencing a missed connection, which incurred a nine hour layover on an already long trip duration. No joke, the airline had to compensate me for the price of the flight, even though I booked through miles. It almost made that terrible day worth the $700 check, almost.
  • If you come across an issue while traveling, a quick Google search will lead you to the company’s rules for cancellations, deferred flights, and any other issue you’re facing. Knowing this information will help you communicate with airport attendants, and most likely aid you in getting compensation for your troubles, get you on another carrier free of charge, or more vouchers to use while stuck in whatever city you don’t want to be in. Of course, always follow up with customer service online and place a complaint after your trip. You don’t ask, you don’t get.

Research your options: My go-to on any given day that I’m planning a trip for work or play is Google Flights. It’s also incredibly helpful while booking or re-booking in a pinch. You can filter the site to show multiple different nearby airports, pick exact departure, arrival, and trip duration times, and filter exact airlines or travel class. Then, you can easily compare multiple different carrier prices and times.

Track flights 1-2 days before departure: Since I live in San Francisco, I fly out of both Oakland International and San Francisco International. If I’m booked on a flight leaving from SFO that week, I’ll track it 1-2 days before. If that same flight was delayed or cancelled a few times that week, I’ll try to switch my flight to the other nearby airport. Note: I usually fly Southwest for domestic travel, which makes this tactic easy.

Pick your airport wisely: If I really need to get somewhere the day of travel, whether it be for a meeting, wedding, or holiday, I usually plan to fly out of the biggest airport in my city. That way, if my flight is cancelled, I’ll at least have many more options on other carriers than I would at a smaller airport.

Lounges: When all else fails, head to the nearest lounge! These days, lounges aren’t just for the first class travelers. Many popular credit card companies provide lounge access all around the world. Priority Pass is offered for Chase Reserve users for free, which gets you into tons of lounges in airports all over the world, and even free meals at some airport restaurants. At SFO, the Air France Lounge is complimentary for Priority Pass users. Amex also has their famous  Centurion lounges in many large airports, and there are tons of other lounges that are offered for Amex Platinum users. I love the using mine at the Escape Lounge in Oakland. We all know I never say no to free champagne…

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Keep Reading

Leave a Comment

About Alexis Taylor

Hi! I'm Alexis, the self-proclaimed Urbanista Girl. My blog features chronicles of my travel destinations, weekend escapes from city life, and San Francisco lifestyle. I'm a born and raised New Englander turned West Coast girl, currently living in the best 7x7 city ever, San Francisco. I'm so excited that you stopped by!

« Guide to Ischia, Italy
Fall Weekend in Vermont »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Hi! I'm Alexis, and the self-proclaimed Urbanista Girl. My blog features chronicles of my travel destinations, weekend escapes from city life, and San Francisco lifestyle. I'm a born and raised New Englander turned West Coast girl, currently living in the best 7x7 city ever, San Francisco. I'm so excited that you stopped by!

Let’s Stay in Touch

You'll be first to know about the latest in San Francisco lifestyle and Travel Guides.

Popular Posts

Planning The Perfect Girl's Trip to Charleston, SC
A Romantic Weekend in Charleston, SC..Where to Stay, Eat, & Play
Playa del Carmen Guide: Where to Eat & Drink
Guide to Christmas in Tulum
The cutest town in the South: A long weekend in Charleston, South Carolina
Park City, Utah Travel Guide (During COVID)
Weekend Whims: We Moved!
TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018
Guide to Ischia, Italy
Surviving Air Travel When Your Plans Go Wrong
  • Home
  • About
  • Travel
  • San Francisco
  • Lifestyle
  • Real Estate
  • Contact

misslexitay

chasing fall in mendocinoooo 🎃 🥃 chasing fall in mendocinoooo 🎃 🥃
Saturday ☀️rooftop☀️workout 👊🏼accomp Saturday ☀️rooftop☀️workout 👊🏼accompanied by my fiancé & wrist weights 😅..been loving @onepeloton HIIT classes & @melissawoodhealth flows! 🤍🤍
☁️ ⛱ ☁️ ⛱
My love 🤍 so special to be in K’s happy place My love 🤍 so special to be in K’s happy place with his fam. 🌊🌊#calibaby @surfandsandlaguna
Autumn foliage colors..California styleeee ☀️🍁🌊 #calibaby
I took some time this summer to reflect & spend ex I took some time this summer to reflect & spend extra time with fam. With that — Urbanista Girl went a little quiet. I’m BACK baby! 🍾🙌🏻💕Today I’m sharing my weekend guide to Napa (Pandemic Edition) on the blog! Link is in my profile, perfect pre-weekend read for my Bay Area babes. 😘
Snapped 📸 by my momma @justinetayyy on one of o Snapped 📸 by my momma @justinetayyy on one of our many strenuous kayak mornings at the lake this summer..these included a 5 minute paddle to the island with a mimosa in the cup holder, accompanied by us stopping & floating to chat about life.💘🚣‍♀️This summer brought lots of special memories despite the challenges the world has thrown. ❣️
✨🤍Our engagement party may have been postpone ✨🤍Our engagement party may have been postponed 3 times, but we sure did celebrate in an intimate, special way until we can actually have our party.🤍✨🍾Thank you mom & dad for hosting the most beautiful, thoughtful dinner party on a gorgeous summer night. You always notice every detail and go above and beyond. 🤍My aunt and uncle hosted us for dinner, fresh cocktails and oysters the following night at their home in the Adirondack mountains @thefernlodgeadk, it was a night filled with love & good wine.😉🤍🦪We are so grateful for good health, our beautiful family, and these memories to cherish!!🤍
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.

Copyright © 2021 · Refined theme by Restored 316