Cancelled flight: how to be prepared & what to do?

A cancelled flight is probably one of the most frustrating things a traveler can experience. When a flight gets cancelled, panic and anger are often the first reaction. But when you prepare yourself well and know what to do, a flight cancellation doesn’t necessarily have to be a nightmare. Here is what you need to know and do, if you have a cancelled flight.

Cancelled flight: how to be prepared & what to do?

Maybe you have been there; sitting at an airport abroad, waiting for your flight and suddenly a voice announces your flight is delayed. You start getting nervous, feeling a bit annoyed because all you want is to get on that plane and get to your next destination. Then, thirty minutes later, the voice returns with the same disturbing message saying your flight is delayed and more information will follow in the next hour. More nerves and frustration appear, already thinking about the worst thing that could follow next: what if my flight gets cancelled? After two more of the same announcements it’s truly there; the message that your flight is cancelled.

If you never experienced a cancelled flight before, consider yourself very lucky. I already experienced it twice. So I know now what to take with me to be prepared and how to behave, so I don’t suffer too much from its consequences.

The most annoying thing when a flight gets cancelled is that you don’t have your luggage (if checked in) and don’t know what will happen next.

How to be prepared for a cancelled flight?

Take the necessary in your handluggage

If you want to stay comfortable and clean, there are a few things that you always need to take with you in your hand luggage.

• a phone charger: So you don’t have to worry about low battery life. You can keep communicating with the partners involved like the airline, the hotel, the rental car company, your family, your driver, …
• entertainment: You’ll probably spend a lot of hours at the airport, so take a book, a tablet/laptop, music,… so you can entertain yourself.
• toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturizer, hairbrush, wet wipes to remove make up (soap, shampoo is always available at the hotel)
• an extra outfit: If you need to stay a day longer, a pair of fresh clothes will make you very happy.
• underwear: spare panties and socks
• pyjamas: A light PJ will make you feel comfortable at night and doesn’t take much space in your handluggage.
• medication: Always take something against headache. Delays and cancellations can be stressful, causing headaches.
• a scarf: in case you get cold
• photography gear: You never know where you will end up and what flight they will give you to get back home. I had a 6 hour layover in Porto coming from Lisbon and I benefited from it by visiting the city for 3 hours taking photos.

ALSO USEFUL: What to pack in your hand luggage to avoid a delayed/ lost luggage disaster

Know your passenger rights

It is always better to be well informed. So take the cancellation notice of the airline you are flying with or inform yourself online in advance. Most of the time the airline will provide you with meal, hotel, taxi vouchers and a new boarding pass. Depending on the country you are flying from/to and the flying distance you also are entitled to a compensation.

• EU passenger rights
• USA passenger rights
• UK passenger rights
• More info about global passenger rights: Claim Compass

Get updates by text messages

When you book your tickets you can often check a box to receive updates by text messages. Tick this box, because you will get first hand info. As soon as I knew my flight got cancelled, I already received the news about my new flight the next day!

What to do when the airline announces a cancelled flight?

Stay calm and polite

As soon as the cancellation announcement has been done, most people become savages. What used to be the waiting line, becomes a mass of shouting hysterical mad people pushing each other and attacking the lady or gentleman behind the desk.

This frustrates me more than the actual cancellation. When will people start to understand that the people behind the desk are not to blame and they are there to find a solution for you? If you keep standing in line everything would also go a lot smoother. So keep calm and be polite and friendly.

If it is your turn to talk to the person behind the desk, be calm and polite and they will be more likely to be nice and helpful to you. I once was put on the first flight of the day because I kept being calm and friendly and showed my disappointment not being able to explore more of the country. (attitude is everything!)

Call the airline

If it is impossible to get to the person behind the desk of your gate, you can also call the airline for more information. They will inform you about your new flight and where to go next to receive your vouchers.

Make friends

This may sound weird, but while waiting for your flight (before a flight gets cancelled you will probably get a lot of delay messages on the screen first.) It is always fun to start talking to people. After all, misery loves company. It is easier to bond with people that are in the same problematic situation. That way you can help each other out if necessary.

Look for the airline desk

Now this is my little secret and I really hope it will work for you too. While everyone was shouting at the lady behind the desk at the gate, I was wondering if there wasn’t another place or point of communication where we could get more information or our vouchers. After all one person for an entire flight is just crazy! When I said that, the guy next to me said he would take a look around at the airport and text me, if he found another airline desk. 10 minutes later I got a text saying he found another airline desk where there was no line and that he already received his vouchers. So I took off with another man I met while waiting, leaving the hysterical crowd behind.

When we arrived at the desk, there was no one else there, except for my new friend. I explained my situation at the lady behind the desk in a calm polite, friendly manner and she smiled and was happy to help me, even though it wasn’t really her job to do this.

She gave me vouchers for the taxi to the hotel and back, a hotel voucher, meal vouchers, my new boarding pass for the next day and a card with the information to file my complaint to get my compensation. We didn’t have to wait for hours like the mad crowd and we just took a taxi to the hotel and went to sleep.

Make the most of it

The first time at the Azores I ended up at a crappy hotel. I could have stayed in the room complaining about it, but I didn’t (because it stank). I tried to replan my stay at the next destination, sat in the lobby together with other stranded victims to laugh at the situation, explored the uninteresting surroundings which resulted in going to the supermarket (what an adventure!) and in the evening I ended up in a small local bar with 2 German girls of about the same age.

The second time the hotel they brought me to was fabulous. The room was great and I indulged myself at the enormous breakfast buffet! I was a little mad, because it would take me another day to get back to Belgium. That way I missed a day at work and this worried me. But there was no way around it. So when I had a 6 hour layover at Porto, I decided to make the most of it. I visited the city for 3 hours with the guy I met during the long wait at the airport.

Keep all your receipts

Keep your (old and new) boarding passes, receipts of stuff you bought and other proof so you can add them to your complaint.

What if you didn’t take any precautions

What if you didn’t take all the stuff I mentioned before in your hand luggage? Don’t worry! I have some personal tips and tricks!

• ask for a toothbrush and toothpaste / survival kit at the hotel
• Buy a phone charger at the duty free store (it is often the only one that is still open late)
• ask the hotel for a phone charger if you can’t buy it
• long hair and no hair brush? Twirl your hair in a high bun and sleep with it, you can keep the bun the next day.
• needing moisturizer? When arriving back at the airport, use the testers at the cosmetics store. No testers? Buy one and before giving it to the cashier, apply some on your face and then pay for it. (they will put it in a sealed bag, so you won’t be able to use it anymore)
• no spare clothes and feeling stinky? Buy a new outfit at the airport and ask the store clerk if you can change outfits in the fitting rooms.
• no deodorant? Spray some perfume at the cosmetics store.
• no PJ’s or underwear? Sleep naked and if enough time, wash your undies by hand with shampoo or body wash and let them dry during the night. (if not dry in the morning, use the hairdryer to dry them.)

How to avoid a cancelled flight

Cancelled flights can never be predicted. But you can lower the risk. Just check the reviews of airlines. Some airlines really have a bad reputation. Avoid booking late flights. Lately airports can’t handle the flight capacity anymore (especially in high season) and it is more likely flights get delayed. If your flight is somewhere on the end of the day’s list, chances are bigger that it won’t be able to leave anymore. After all airports have time restrictions to take off and land to limit aircraft noise during the night.

What to do when back home

File a complaint as fast as possible with the documentation you kept. It can take quite some time before you receive your compensation. Be smart and already add your bank account and all the information they can possibly ask for.

This article was sponsored by Hunkemöller, however my opinions are as always my own.

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