KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images
- This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.
- You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.
This week is all about giving thanks, but one thing people aren't grateful for is having to travel.
Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel periods of the year, both on the road and at airports. This year, Thanksgiving air travel is set to break records as 31 million people are expected to fly.
My best piece of advice would be to avoid traveling altogether — that's what I'm doing — but I realize that's not helpful at this stage in the game.
So I called on a real expert, my fantastic colleague and BI's senior aviation reporter, Taylor Rains, to offer some last-minute advice.
Dan: It looks like Mother Nature might cause some issues this year. Portions of the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and the entire East Coast are expecting inclement weather today. How bad could that make things not just for those areas, but the rest of the country?
Taylor: Thunderstorms around Dallas/Fort Worth already caused hundreds of delays at the city's two main airports on Monday. And these local disruptions can ripple through an airline's entire network, displacing aircraft, pilots, and flight attendants (the crew can "time out" after prolonged delays and become legally unable to fly). So even if it's sunny in Los Angeles, your flight could be three hours late due to thunderstorms in Texas.
It gets even trickier if you're flying out of a smaller airport, like Key West or White Plains, where it's harder for airlines to quickly find replacement aircraft or crew when things get out of sync — and sometimes they can't at all.
Dan: Yikes! So if you find yourself facing serious delays, what's the best thing a beleaguered traveler can do?
Taylor: First, don't panic — you have options. During a delay or cancellation, the fastest route is usually your airline's app or website, where you can rebook online on an earlier flight, a later one, or even the next day. This is typically quicker than waiting in long airport lines or clogged phone queues. You can also try combining both: wait in line while simultaneously rebooking online to boost your chances of resolving things quickly.
Dan: Got it. Let's ratchet things up and say no rebooking options exist. Then what?
Taylor: It depends on who's at fault. For overnight delays caused by the airline, such as maintenance or crew staffing issues, most carriers will provide complimentary accommodations, transportation, and meals. You can verify policies through the government's Airline Customer Service Dashboard.
If the disruption is beyond the airline's control, such as weather, compensation is less guaranteed. Some airlines may offer meal vouchers as a goodwill gesture, but they aren't required to. Still, it's worth asking. You may also be able to recoup costs through travel insurance built into the credit card you used to book — the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, for example, has reimbursed me multiple times.
Finally, remember: you are entitled to a full refund for any canceled flight, regardless of reason, as long as you don't rebook.
Dan: Ok, I saved the most important question for last: Window or aisle?
Taylor: I used to be a window seat fan, but I'll always pay up for an aisle now! I didn't stop flying when I was pregnant, so I think having easy access to the bathroom or to stretch converted me.
Leave a Reply