Your flight is overbooked, the airline loses your bags, and your hotel has no record of your reservation. Sound familiar?
If you travel, you’ve probably had your share of frustrating experiences over the years, and with the record high number of travelers expected this year, along with increased airport security, there is a pretty good chance something could go wrong.
But what do you do when things do go wrong?
First of all, remain calm in whatever situation you find yourself in. Screaming at a ticket agent or hotel front desk clerk probably isn’t the best way to attack the problem. There’s a better chance that they will help you if they don’t hate you. Try to remember that travel snafus happen to everyone…why else would travel nightmare movies like “The Out-of-Towners” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” have become (comic relief) classics? The following are some tips on what to do in some of the more common situations.
Your Flight Is Overbooked
With domestic airlines cutting capacity, it’s no surprise that just about every single plane I’ve been on in the last year has been totally full. Look at the recent numbers: last June the major airlines averaged 88 percent load factors. In July, some of those percentages jumped above 94 percent. It stands to reason that airlines are overbooking flights — which means that passengers could get bumped.
How can you keep this from happening to you? A number of airlines allow you to check in for your flight within 24 hours online, and even print up your own boarding pass. Once you have a seat assignment, you stand a far better chance of not getting bumped. A number of airlines also restrict about 20-30 percent of their seats to “airport check-in only,” so be sure to check in during that first hour (within the 24 hour window) in order to get that seat assignment.
If you do get bumped — and assuming you’ve checked in within the allotted time windows — you are entitled to denied boarding compensation. Typically, this compensation is in the form of travel vouchers (good for a dollar figure you can apply against the cost of a ticket for your next abusive flight!). While that’s better than nothing (usually about $200 to $400), let’s not forget that you actually went to the airport in order to get to your destination. In an overbooking situation, the airline must first find volunteers willing to give up their seats. But the bottom line is that the airline has a responsibility to get you to your destination, too; it’s part of their contract of carriage. You need to remind them of that.
Your Flight Is Delayed Or Cancelled
Be a proactive traveler. Understand that airport departure boards consistently LIE or at the very least, mislead. If the airlines were running a shipping business, the Titanic would still be listed as “on time.”
Here’s what you should do before you ever get beyond the ticket counter: look at the departure board to determine your flight number, and the gate it is scheduled to leave from.
Then, check out the arrivals board for the truth - look for what is arriving at that gate. If nothing is arriving at that gate until next Thursday, you have a reasonably good chance of assuming your flight is late or cancelled. Then ask at the counter - why go all the way to the gate to be disappointed?
If your flight is cancelled, you can invoke Rule 240, which says the following: In the event of any irregularity whatsoever (other than that caused by weather), the airline must immediately rebook you on the NEXT available flight (not THEIR next available flight). In other words, the next available flight on any legacy carrier - American, United, Delta, U.S. Air, Continental, Northwest, etc. Airlines like JetBlue or Southwest, which do not have interline agreements with the legacy carriers, are exempted.
If you are already at the gate - or worse yet, on the plane - when you learn that your flight is delayed or cancelled, do NOT stand in line. Instead, use your cell phone or a pay phone to call the airline’s 800 number, and ask them to invoke Rule 240 for you. They’ll know what that means, and off you’ll go, hopefully to your destination.
The Airline Loses Your Bags
As I always say, I believe there are two kinds of airline bags: carry on and lost, and with 207 million Americans traveling this summer, the baggage loss numbers are mounting. Do what I do: courier your bags. Fedex does it, and so do several other companies (websites listed below). I save two and a half hours of my life every time I travel by couriering my bags door to door. But if you MUST check bags, also do what I do: on the outside of your bags, put your identification, but only put your name and cell phone number as I.D. on two separate tags on two separate locations outside the bag. Then, put the same information on the INSIDE of the bag. Why? Baggage conveyor belts love to eat tags, and if both tags are ripped off your bag and then the airline loses it, they have no way of figuring out it’s your bag.
Airlines like to say that 98 percent of all mishandled bags are ultimately reunited with their owners. So, unless you’re part of the very unfortunate two percent, there are still things you need to know. First, the airline will ask you to fill out some standard forms and give you a central clearinghouse number to call.
DO NOT LEAVE that baggage counter without getting the direct number to that baggage counter. And the full name of the person you’re dealing with there. You really want the airline to share your sense of urgency here.
Second, assuming the airline does find your bag, the airline generally doesn’t deliver it to you; they subcontract out with a delivery/trucking service to do it, and it’s not unusual for them to arrive at your door at some ungodly hour (like 2 a.m.) to deliver your bags. Instead of leaving it to fate, call that direct baggage number and insist that your bags are on the first delivery of bags that night and that, unlike the cable guy, they agree to or specify a delivery time — not an unreasonably large time window — at which to deliver those bags. Pinning them down and having someone at the airline take responsibility makes a big difference.
Your Hotel Has No Record of Your Reservation
Whether you book online or through a human being, always follow up by confirming your reservation directly with the hotel (get the first and last name of the person you speak with). You can also guarantee your reservation by using a major credit card - which guarantees that the hotel will hold your room until your arrival, no matter what time that is (remember that delayed flight?). However, you still need to call the hotel at least eight hours before your arrival and reconfirm (with the same person, if possible).
Assuming that you made your reservation with a major credit card and you have a confirmation, then it is the hotel’s responsibility to “walk you,” that is, put you up in a hotel of comparative (or better) quality for that night.
Your Passport/ID/Credit Card Goes Missing
Before you ever leave home, photocopy all of your important documents, credit cards, prescriptions, passports, driver’s license, etc. Bring them along with you on your trip, but not in the same wallet or purse. Also print out the 800 numbers AND long distance direct dial numbers (in case the 800 number does not work from your destination) of the credit card companies, doctors, pharmacies, etc. You should also call your credit card companies ahead of time and inform them that you will be traveling out of your home area, or, if applicable, out of the country, and that you expect to be using the card more than usual. This is important because many credit card companies may deny charges (on the spot) if they determine that it violates your normal purchasing patterns or locations. These phone calls are essential if you plan to use your credit cards on your trip.
If something does go missing, getting copies should be simple if you followed the above tips. You have all of your information, so getting replacements is infinitely easier. Having a photocopy of your passport with the photo page and all information copied also makes life easier when getting a new passport.
Your Cruise Is Cancelled When Many Passengers Get Sick On Board
Here’s what you should do before this ever happens: buy trip cancellation and interruption insurance before your trip (preferably not directly from the cruise line, but from a third party insurance company). Most policy premiums range from 6-9 percent of the cost of your cruise, but this is great protection. Also, you might also want to buy medical evaluation and repatriation insurance - most Americans do not realize that their own medical insurance probably does NOT cover them overseas.
Once a cruise is cancelled - whether you bought the insurance or not - many cruise lines will attempt to give inconvenienced passengers a partial refund or a discount against future cruises. Keep in mind that this is all negotiable…. If passengers hold their ground, in many cases it results in a full refund. And if you were one of the sick passengers, that’s where the medical evacuation and repatriation insurance comes in. Under a number of these policies (these are annual premiums and average about $300 per person), if you get sick or injured overseas, the insurance company will send a medically equipped jet or helicopter to you and evacuate you to the doctor and medical facility of YOUR choice.
The Rental Car Agency Charges You For A Ding You Know Wasn’t Yours
Before this happens to you, learn to love a disposable camera. Do a full walk around the vehicle before you ever get into the driver’s seat. Note any dings, dents, or scratches. Take pictures. If you discover any, notify the rental agent, and get that person’s first and last name. Make sure your camera has a feature that records the date of the picture.
When you return the car, take pictures again and make note of the employee you return the car to. There should be no further problems. But if there are, you have photographic proof as well as an employee witness. If you don’t follow these procedures, it’s your word against theirs, and unfortunately, the rental car companies generally win.
And finally…
BAGGAGE SHIPPING LINKS:
Get more helpful travel tips in Peter’s Travel Detective Blog.
