Cancellations and Delays

Cancellations and delays are often unavoidable, inconvenient and downright frustrating! It could be due to any number of reasons including weather, mechanical failure, illness, unforeseen hazards or dangers, natural disasters, and the list goes on!

Tips

1. Don’t take it out on the staff!

Taking your anger out on the staff is not a wise choice! If they have to make a decision of who goes & who stays, guess who won’t be going anywhere? Often the person behind the counter isn’t aware of what is going on either.

2. Remain calm

Nobody wants to listen to you rant & rave. They’re facing their own levels of frustration without having to share yours! Take a walk, do some deep breathing, and relax!

3. Ask for compensation

The travel provider may issue compensation depending on the reasons behind the delay, or they may issue meal vouchers or accommodation again depending on the length of the delay and the statutory regulations and in-house policies.

4. Be prepared

This is why it is always important to have items such as medication, a spare change of clothes, your itinerary and travel documents in your carry on luggage.

5. Have foresight

Ring ahead. Let your hotel / transfer / tour company know. If necessary, make changes to your itinerary to reduce the impact on the rest of your trip. Contact your travel agent to let them know & ask if they can assist. Alternatively, do it yourself.  If you are able to give sufficient notice, the onward party may even give partial refunds or at least not cancel your booking & charge cancellation fees thinking that you no showed!

6. Travel Insurance

Most travel insurance policies include a level of cancellation cover. Ensure you are adequately covered for these unforeseen events.

Keep documentation of all of your payments and receipts in case you need these to make a claim.

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Analogy

I had a recent flight that was diverted due to weather. As it turned out I had a connecting flight which I thought I had allowed enough time for (4 hours). But being diverted to a different city resulted in what appeared at the time to be an impossible connection time. Had I booked the two flights through the same carrier, the airline may have simply moved me to the next available flight. However, I had booked completely different airlines on separate bookings. So I did the only thing I could & got online to book the cheapest connecting flight I could find!

Please feel free to comment with any other tips on cancellations and delays!