What to do when your flight is delayed or cancelledAs soon as you see that your flight is canceled, or that a delay will ruin your flight plans, get to the nearest airline agent. Most likely there will be a line forming at your gate, there may be other ticketing desks nearby. If your gate is totally overwhelmed, go back to your airlines ticket desk on the other side of the security gate, where they may be more equipped to rebook passengers. Remember that there are a lot of people like you trying to get to the same place you are, and they might beat you to it. There are a limited number of other seats going to your destination, especially during the holidays and especially in times of incliment weather. So you got to move fast. This is why it's important to talk to an agent as fast as possible, to solidify your plans. Your airline may already have put you on another flight, and you don't want to miss it. Find out what the airline has planned. If your flight was canceled completely, chances are it may already have rebooked you to a different flight. You might be lucky, and already be booked for the next flight available. However, your new flight will not necessarily be convenient - it might even be a day or two away! But remember, this is the ticket that you *have*, a guaranteed seat, not a stand-by slot. Hang onto this as a fallback plan. It's possible that the airline has already scheduled you on a flight that is boarding right now. That's why you should talk to someone as soon as possible, to make sure you don't miss your chance to get back on track quickly. Your airline agent is there to help - but let them know what you're willing to try. Talk to the agent about all possibilities. If the flight planned for you by the airline is not optimal, *politely* ask the agent to check on a few more possibilities. If your goal is to get there as soon as possible and you're willing, let the agent know you'll fly through any city and make any connection. If the agent can't find you anything, politely ask the agent if there is anything available on another airline. Your airline can put you on another airline's flight, if your airline agent calls the other airline to secure you a seat. This could be your best chance to get a quick flight. Your least-desirable choice is to go on standby, but you will at least want to be put on the list right away. You won't have a ticket, but if there's an extra seat on a flight to your destination, and you are first on the standby list and there at the gate, you can claim a seat on that flight. If you're willing to try this, let the agent know. Call the airline directly - you might end up on hold, but you might get an agent faster than waiting in the line, and they can start rebooking you immediately. Keep the agent on the line even if you start talking to someone on the counter - now you've got two people working on your problem, and you may find that one is a lot more eager to help you than the other. Be very nice to everyone. Yelling at the airline will not help you, but being polite just might. Your airline representative has dozens of passengers to reroute as fast as they can. If you're polite, accomodating, and grateful, they just might go an extra mile to help you out. Airline agent can call another airline and negotiate you a nonstop flight to your destination. An airport representative could give you a free meal pass or hotel accomidations until the next morning. Deviating from the original flight plan is the most common reason for misplaced luggage. Keep track of your checked bags. When you get a new flight, make sure to inquire about your checked luggage. Ask about its current location and how it will get to your destination. If you change airlines, make sure the new airline has the tag number for your bags. If you have trouble finding your bags at the destination airport, be sure to check with the office of your booked airline. If you switched airlines at some point, check with their office as well. Your luggage may very well have beaten you to your destination!
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