Flight Canceled? Experts Share Some Advice About What To Do

Thousands of travelers were stranded at airports or stuck on hold trying to rebook flights this week as a massive storm snarled travel in the U.S. and Canada ahead of the holidays.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 4,800 flights into or out of U.S. airports had been canceled, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.

Wendell Davis, who plays basketball with a team in France, was scheduled to fly from Paris to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday. After multiple cancellations, Davis was still at O’Hare airport in Chicago on Friday. He debated driving to Columbus but decided not to. Instead, he booked a hotel room while he waits for a scheduled flight to Cincinnati on Christmas Day.

“Everyone’s going through the same problems right now,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve just got to stay positive. Anger is not going to help us at all.”

Staying calm __ and knowing your rights __ can go a long way if your flight is canceled, experts say. Here’s some of their advice for dealing with a flight cancellation:

MY FLIGHT WAS CANCELED. WHAT NEXT?

If you still want to get to your destination, most airlines will rebook you for free on the next available flight as long as it has seats, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

If you want to cancel the trip, you are entitled to a full refund, even if you bought non-refundable tickets. You’re also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras.

Kurt Ebenhoch, a consumer travel advocate and former airline executive, stressed that travelers are eligible for a refund, not just vouchers for future travel. If you do take a voucher, make sure you inquire about blackout dates and other restrictions on its use.

WILL I HAVE TO PAY A CHANGE FEE IF I REBOOK MY FLIGHTS?

Major airlines __ including Delta, American, Southwest, Air Canada, Alaska, Frontier and Spirit __ are waiving change fees during the storm, which gives travelers more flexibility as they shift their plans. But Ebenhoch said travelers should read the fine print carefully. If you book a return flight outside the window that the airline sets, you may have to pay for the difference in fares, for example.

CAN I ASK TO BE BOOKED ON ANOTHER AIRLINE’S FLIGHT?

Yes. Airlines aren’t required to put you on another airline’s flight, but they can, and sometimes do, according to the DOT. Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, recommends researching alternate flights while you’re waiting to talk to an agent. Agents are typically under a lot of pressure when a flight is canceled, so giving them some options helps.

Ebenhoch also suggests looking for alternative airports that are close to your original destination.

IS THE AIRLINE REQUIRED TO GIVE ME A HOTEL ROOM, OR OTHER COMPENSATION?

No. Each airline has its own policies about providing for customers whose flights are canceled, according to the DOT. But many airlines do offer accommodations, so you should check with their staff.

I’M FACING A LONG WAIT TO REBOOK. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If someone in your traveling party is at a higher level in a frequent flier program, use the number reserved for that level to call the airline, Ebenhoch said. You can also try calling an international help desk for the airline, since those agents have the ability to make changes.

HOW CAN I AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE?

Ebenhoch said nonstop flights and morning flights are generally the most reliable if you can book them. If you’re worried about making it to the airport in time for a morning flight, he said, consider staying at a hotel connected to the airport the night before. And consider flying outside of busy dates; this year, the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration is expecting big crowds on Dec. 30, for example.

Klee recommends comparing airlines’ policies on the DOT’s service dashboard: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard. He also suggests reserving multiple flights and then canceling the ones you don’t use, as long as the airline will refund your money or convert it into a credit for a future flight.

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

Six Ways You Can Get Booted From Your Airplane Seat

(Photo: Maxim Petrichuk, Getty Images/Hemera)

It's in their contracts of carriage: When you buy an airfare, airlines do not "guarantee" a particular seat, schedule or flight.  And airlines can be pretty persnickety about who they fly and where they seat them.  Back when I used to work for Eastern Air Lines, an employee flying on a company ticket had to wear a suit and tie in order to be accepted for transportation. We always flew in first class if there were seats, but one day I showed up at the check-in desk with a nice suit but no tie and I was bumped back to economy. "The way you're dressed, you don't deserve to fly at all!" sniped the ticket agent.

But it happens to paying passengers, too, and for sometimes unpredictable reasons.  Actor Andie MacDowell was booted back to "tourist class" recently because she carried a pet pooch on board but was sitting in the first-class bulkhead row, which meant there was no under-seat area for the dog and its carrier (this is typical of most bulkhead rows). Why the Four Weddings and a Funeral actress was sitting in that row while transporting an animal isn't clear, since she let the airline know she was bringing a pet on board, but she was ignominiously sent back to an economy-class seat and she wasn't having it on Twitter. "@AmericanAir HELP I paid for first class & they put me in tourist because of my dog that I pre-booked & paid for," she tweeted.

But it's not just airline employee dress codes and pets that can get you booted back to coach — or off the plane entirely.

1. The air marshal needs your seat

These guys still fly to protect you, and they're sometimes seated without prior warning. If one of them shows up and needs your seat, you'll either be bumped off the flight entirely or reassigned. And you won't even get an explanation (obviously, the authorities don't want you to blab that there's an air marshal on board).

2. You messed with a crewmember

When Bobby Abtahi, a Dallas attorney, was rushing through one of those large revolving doors at New York's LaGuardia Airport, he supposedly "cut off" a Virgin America flight attendant who was attempting to enter at the same time. Abtahi was booted off his flight after the flight attendant complained to the captain flying his plane. At least Virgin later apologized for the "misunderstanding" and refunded his fare.

3. You — or your child — won't listen to crewmember instructions

Actually, if you do anything to annoy cabin crew or fail to obey their instructions and ignore lighted placard signs, you risk being booted. When singer Sarah Blackwood ofWalk Off the Earth couldn't get her toddler to sit down and fasten his seat belt just before takeoff, her United Airlines flight returned to the gate and both were invited to deplane. "That's how babies are," she reportedly said.

4. The airline oversells or double-books a seat

Even in this era of sophisticated computer systems — or perhaps because of them — airlines oversell flights and even, on rare occasions, sell the same seat to two people. You're now entitled to up to $1,350 in cash compensation if you're "bumped" (do not accept a travel voucher!) depending on the reason for the bump, the length of any delay caused and the price of your ticket. In 2013, Delta was fined $750,000 for, among other bumping violations, not informing passengers that they're entitled to cash compensation rather than a travel voucher, and last year American paid a fine for similar infractions.

5. You're not properly dressed

Again, this is up to cabin crew, but if you wear a T-shirt with offensive wording, are exposing too much flesh, or are otherwise provocatively dressed, flight attendants and cockpit crew have been known to kick people off the plane or refuse boarding.Spirit Airlines once deplaned a passenger for refusing to pull up his baggy, underwear-revealing pants, and Southwest has been known to refuse passage to passengers whose clothes reveal too much cleavage or other body parts. Thankfully, airlines no longer require employees to wear suits and ties when flying on company passes, but they'll take it out on you if they don't approve of your fashion sense.

6. You’ve been over-served

If you’re obviously inebriated or otherwise impaired, don’t expect to fly. You won’t be breathalyzed so it’s entirely up to crew member discretion.

By George Hobica, the founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. Airfarewatchdog features the best airfares on thousands of routes verified by a team of expert fare analysts.