How to Get a Flight Quickly After Yours Has Been Cancelled
- 1). Call the airline immediately. The second you hear over the loudspeaker or you see on the departure board that your flight has been cancelled, call the airline right away, even before getting in line at the gate desk. You will have a better chance of getting re-booked on another flight faster over the phone.
- 2). Get in line, just in case. If there are major cancellations of many flights due to weather, the airlines will be swamped with phone calls, and you will be on hold for quite a while. Get in line at the reservation desk because you may end up getting to an agent there before you get someone on the phone.
- 3). Have your personal information ready. Whether over the phone or in person, if you are not ready when you speak to an agent, you are just lessening your chances of getting on the next available flight. Present your confirmation number, identification and boarding pass. Let the agent know if you need to transfer planes in another city and any other important circumstances such as whether you or someone in your party needs special assistance.
- 4). Be kind. The airline agents will likely be dealing with plenty of angry customers when flights are cancelled. Being polite, smiling and waiting patiently as they look thorough the computer will be appreciated. The agents will be more motivated to work extra hard to find alternative flights for kind passengers to get them on their way.
- 5). Find a flight with another airline. If it looks like your current airline will not be able to accommodate you for several hours, check the schedules of other airlines. If there is another flight, ask the agent you are working with to book on the other airline, if it has seat availability.
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