Like everything these days, most things don’t run as smoothly as they could. When it comes to travel plans, every facet of your day rarely goes according to plan 100 per cent, and sometimes we experience delays. In most cases these delays are short and don’t upset us too much, but sometimes there can be a rather long delay, which is unavoidable. How do we deal with it? Well, patience basically!
If you check your flight status before you leave the house then you should have an idea if you’re facing a major delay, because this will usually flash up well in advance. This doesn’t mean you should leave the house any later, because you don’t know at this time what contingency plans are in place, and instead you should head to the check in desk as you normally would; however you will be informed about it, and it won’t be a surprise.
In the event of a long delay or a cancellation, you will be glad you took the time to book your travel insurance. Now, what you can do with this depends on the company you chose, what the circumstances are, and what exactly it is you’re insured for. In the most part however, having good quality single trip travel insurance means you have peace of mind that in the event of something major happening, such as, god forbid, cancellation, then you’re covered. In the most part however, if it isn’t your fault and the long delay is a result of something out of the airline’s hands, such as a safety problem etc, then all you can do is wait.
It’s tempting to simply vent at the first person you come into contact with at the airport when you’re informed of a problem with your flight, however this isn’t wise! Remember that the person dealing with you is simply passing on information, and they are trying to help. You may be offered compensation in the form of meal vouchers, or you may be put up in a hotel overnight – this is all at the airline’s discretion and depends on the number of hours delay you’re looking at.
This might all sound a little doom and gloom, but it’s important to remember that an airline isn’t going to upset your travel plans unintentionally, because let’s face it, they’re losing money! Stay calm, keep focused on that holiday that you will get to go on eventually, and instead take advantage of the joys of the airport, such as duty free!