Despite your best plans and the honorable intentions of airline staff, problems can arise with airline travel that will throw off your schedule and cause you a wide variety of frustrating and annoying problems.
Here are a few of the problems that can occur and some tips on what you can do to minimize their impact.
controllable problems
You can't find your ticketDon't panic. You may not have even had a paper copy of your ticket in the first place. Many carriers are using electronic tickets, also called e-tickets or paperless travel. If you know your flight number, the airline can usually find your reservation. If you actually did have a hard ticket and cannot find it, you'll likely be asked to pay for a new one and file a Lost Ticket claim. After a waiting period of 30 to 180 days, you'll likely receive a refund, less a service charge fee -- although there is no guarantee that the airline will come through for you.
What to do next time: Keep the ticket with your passport, along with all your traveling documents. Write down the number of the flight and store it separately (maybe in your wallet) just in case. Remember; an airline ticket is like money -- its safekeeping is ultimately your responsibility, so guard it well.
You forgot or lost your passport
If you're en route to the airport and realize you've left your passport at home or in the office, get someone to pick it up and meet you at the terminal. You may be able to check in without a passport and then, once your colleague or girlfriend arrives with it, you can sprint to your flight. If you're away from home and your passport is lost or stolen, contact your local consulate or embassy.
What to do next time: Always keep a photocopy of your passport identification page at your home or office as a backup. Be sure to keep your passport and its photocopies in different places.
You're late and miss your flight
Minimum check-in times vary by airport, airline and destination, but the absolute latest cut-off is usually 30 minutes prior to the departure time.
Get yourself to the check-in counter fast. If there's a self-service booth to get your boarding card, use it. It will save you a few precious minutes. Don't rush at the security screening. The more exasperated and flustered you seem, the more thoroughly you will be scanned.
What to do next time: Plan according to Murphy's Law: Assume that whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Anticipating a flat tire or heavy traffic, leave at least 30 minutes earlier than you normally would. Arrange for backup transportatimally would. Arrange for backup transportation, like calling a cab or a friend, in case things get really messed up. Check traffic reports and warnings for any roadwork.
You're at the wrong airport
This happens quite frequently to business travelers in cities with more than one airport. Use your cell phone and put yourself at the mercy of the airline. They might agree to let you travel on the next flight for a small additional fee. They are entitled to charge you the full fare for a new ticket without the benefit of any advance booking discounts because you are solely responsible for the error, so don't be a jerk on the phone.
What to do next time: Check your ticket and itinerary in advance, and call your airline if you're unsure about the airport code.
You're being charged for excess baggage
All airlines have limits on their free baggage allowance and, with some carriers, the initial number of pounds you are allowed is very low. European carriers generally allow roughly 45 pounds and North American airlines usually accept up to 70 pounds.
Excess baggage charges can be surprisingly high. If you're told your suitcase is overweight, offer to quickly repack some items into your travel partner's bag. Transfer a book or two into your carry-on and put your coat or jacket over your arm. That might make the difference or at least reduce the cost of your excess baggage charge.
With many airlines, it actually costs less to check an additional piece of luggage than it does to pay for an overweight one. Find out if this is the case and, if so, ask for a box.
What to do next time: Research the weight limits before arriving at the check-in counter. Distribute your belongings properly beforehand, and bring an extra bag in case you need to fill it with some of your things.
uncontrollable problems
You're refused at immigrationAn oft-forgotten criminal offence, the lack of appropriate documentation or failure to adhere to immigration policies, could result in refused entry into a country. Don't try to joke your way out of this situation; that'll likely compound the problem, and it's really not that funny a situation.
If access is denied, you won't live in the airport like Tom Hanks' character in The Terminal -- you'll be sent back on the first available flight. Don't expect to get your airfare refunded, either.
What to do next time: Bring all the documentation you may be required to give. You're better off bringing too much than not enough.
Your flight is delayed
If you're told your flight is delayed by two hours, check back in an hour. Airport public address systems usually do not work in restaurants and bars, so you'll want to ensure that you didn't miss any updates. The mechanical problem might have been fixed faster than anticipated or the weather may have cleared up. If most of the passengers are on-hand, the airline has the right to change the departure time again to leave earlier than they initially forecast.
If the delay is an unusually long one, you might be entitled to compensation from the carrier, your travel insurance or your credit card company's insurers. It doesn't hurt to ask.
What to do next time: Plan your schedule to allow for flight delays and bring a book or some work to pass the time.
You're bumped
Airlines oversell flights. To ensure maximum revenue, they often sell more tickets than there are seats. It usually balances out because at least a few people won't show up but, if you have a confirmed reservation and there are no seats left, you might get bumped -- or, in the language of airline euphemisms, you might find yourself eligible for denied boarding compensation in the form of a travel credit or cash.
Most airlines will solicit volunteers, so decide in advance if that's an appealing option for you and listen for the announcement. You'll be compensated and rebooked on a flight that has seats available -- although not necessarily the next flight, so be sure to ask. If there are no volunteers, the last people to check in are generally the ones who are out of luck. If it happens to you, remember to call and cancel your hotel booking.
What to do next time: Check in early.
Your flight is canceled
Remain in the area with everyone else and listen for instructions. If there are freebies being given out, such as meal certificates or hotel vouchers, grab your share. Call the airline's reservations office on your cell phone and ask for help in rescheduling your flight. Do this immediately, before other passengers from your canceled flight start doing the same. Call to cancel your hotel reservation so you don't get charged a no-show billing.
What to do next time: Never schedule a meeting or cruise ship departure close to your projected arrival time. Allocate a good two to three hours between scheduled arrival times and other appointments. You can even research the other flights to the same destination, which usually leave at about the same.
Your baggage is damaged
Inspect your suitcase and report any damage before leaving the airport. You might be offered an immediate replacement or cash on the spot, but evaluate what you're offered thoroughly before accepting it. If the stock piece is inferior quality, insist on a replacement of the same brand name as your bag, unless yours is really old.
If the damage was impossible to notice until you arrived home or at your hotel, call the carrier immediately and find out what you need to do. Some will insist you return to the terminal to have the bag inspected. Others follow strict time limits for reporting damage in writing within as little as seven days. If the contents of your luggage are damaged, similar rules apply, and the airline may well decline any liability for fragile articles.
When 10 suitcases are piled high in an aircraft and yours is on the bottom, you don't want it squashed flat. This doesn't require paying for a well-known brand name, but ask the salesclerk to explain the differences between the $200 case and the $50 imitation. Check the quality of the wheels -- ones that look like in-line skates are usually good -- and examine how well the handle is attached. And remember: The weight of the empty case will impact how much you can pack into it.
What to do next time: Ensure your bag is designed to withstand the rigors of air travel and never pack valuables, fragile items or your laptop or camera.
Your luggage is lost
Airlines will tell you that it's not lost, it's just delayed. The bottom line is that you are there and your suitcase isn't. You'll be asked for information, including a description of the bag and distinctive contents. Keep your cool and explain your immediate needs. This is not the time to go overboard.
They won't likely pay for a new suit if you traveled in shorts and have a crucial business meeting in an hour, but most carriers are amenable to reasonable requests. They probably have a toiletry kit available with a toothbrush and shaving gear -- just ask.
Keep the receipts for any essentials you purchase and submit them to the airline's Customer Care or Consumer Affairs department with an explanation and copies of your travel documents.
One word of caution: If your baggage is truly lost, never to be returned, you will soon learn that the airlines have strict liability limits that may not provide for the full value of your missing items.
What to do next time: Learn about the baggage liability limits in advance and purchase additional insurance or excess valuation coverage. Make a list of what's in your luggage and keep the list with you at all times. Don't pack valuables in checked baggage. And keep in mind that some credit cards offer warranties on purchases made with them -- the suitcase and its contents, for instance.
You get food poisoning
First off, make sure that it is food poisoning. With the number of meals prepared and served in any given day, it's highly unlikely that only one or two passengers will suffer from it. There are many other conditions that cause similar symptoms.
If you and a group of fellow travelers do indeed experience the same problems, seek medical attention and then write to the airline. They will investigate with the caterer and arrange for compensation, if it's due.
What to do next time: Carry Pepto-Bismol or Imodium just in case you get sick, whatever the cause.
You receive lousy service
Stay cool. Remember the fate that befell Adam Sandler's character in the movie Anger Management and do not raise your voice or express disdain, frustration or hostility.
Rephrase your request as calmly and courteously as possible. You can write a strongly-worded letter later. In the meantime, forget about the pillow that you weren't given, the broken headset that was not replaced and the seat that would not recline, and concentrate on something more positive.
What to do next time: Give a different airline your money.
problems shouldn't ruin the trip
We've come a long way since Orville and Wilbur's first flight, but as every experienced traveler will tell you, there's still no such thing as a perfect flight.Stay calm, expect the unexpected and do a little advanced planning to minimize the impact of many of the problems inherent in air travel. Have a nice flight.
Resources:
http://www.ifg-inc.com/Consumer_Reports/FlyRights.shtml#reserveFly-Rights
http://www.delta.com/
http://www.united.com/
http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/
Airline Tickets
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