Okay, I am fullly aware that some readers will say “whenever you go to the airport.” But there is one situation especially where ignoring what the airline tells you can save you a lot of time and stress — when a flight is canceled.
Here are two real-world examples from this week alone.
Clients flying from Memphis to Montego Bay, Jamaica, were told by Northwest first that their flight was delayed, then that it was canceled. Plus, they were told there was nothing else available until the next day. When they called me to ask what to do about the hotel, I found a wide-open American flight via Miami, and held two seats.
Armed with the confirmation number they went back to the counter and the agent shrugged, called American, and reissued their tickets. (The clients told me later the flights were not full, but the only people from their original flight who also ended up on American had also called THEIR travel agent.)
Travelers heading to San Jose, California to San Jose, Costa Rica were called by American and told their flight to Dallas was delayed, and that they would miss the connection. The agent told them the only options were to leave the next day, or catch a lousy connection with four hours in Los Angeles and a Lacsa overnight flight to Costa Rica. They asked the agent if it might be possible to pay more and fly first class. The answer was no. The Lacsa flight had only coach and there was nothing American could do.
Again, a quick computer check showed an American flight overnight from San Francisco to Miami with a good connection to Costa Rica — with a discounted first class fare available. Since San Francisco is only 30 miles from San Jose, they loved the idea. I booked the seats, and American reissued the tickets with only the fare difference, no penalty.
Admittedly, the reservation agent in the last case probably wasn’t in California, but presumably airline employees should know about nearby airports. Especially since the travelers, with an important meeting the next day, said they would pay not to take the uncomfortable coach red-eye.
To be fair to the airlines, staff cuts mean that gate agents are more harried than usual. And certainly it is both easier and cheaper to give delayed travelers only one option. Sometimes, too, there may not be that many seats on an alternative flight. On the other hand, if there are options that could save passengers hours, or a day, they want to know about them.
What to do?
If you have a travel agent, call them. Even online agencies have customer service numbers.
If you’ve booked direct, get creative. Call reservations, and if you get an agent who sounds competent, explain that you are flexible and be as proactive as you can. You can even look for options online first. Suggest other airlines, suggest other airports and be as aggressively nice as you can. (Screaming usually is not a productive option.) When faced with an agent who doesn’t seem to get it, there is always the “I’m sorry, this is a bad connection, I’ll have to call you back” approach. And try again.
This isn’t to say that airlines always lie about options. Sometimes they just don’t see them and sometimes they really don’t exist. But before giving up, it’s worth a little effort to be sure. The trip, or at least the time, you save may be your own.
