Over the weekend over 6,000 flights were canceled as the United States was having severe winter weather conditions. There were at least 90 cancelations and 43 delays this past Monday morning. Some passengers were really unhappy having their second or third canceled flight. Some passengers were told their cancelations were due to staffing issues and not the weather.
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, had 177 flights delayed and 72 canceled at SEA on Christmas. Other airlines like Delta, Horizon and SkyWest also had numerous flights impacted at the airport Sunday. Those who were impacted by the cancelations said they had to wait hours to get their flights rebooked for another day.
In the current weather conditions resulting periodic, widespread delays and cancellations, experts have detailed the best advice for travelers. Advice is as follows:
-You need to be proactive and not wait for the airline to tell you there is a problem.
-You can keep an eye on general flight trends across the country on the net.
-Opt in to flight notifications with your airline and download the carrier’s app on your phone.
-If your flight is listed as “on time” when you check the app, leave for the airport according to the original schedule.
-Once you’re at the gate, you may or may not experience a delay.
-Even if your flight shows as delayed in the app, it can be subject to change.
-It’s best to be at the airport ready to go at the originally scheduled time in most cases.
-It’s vital to check the forecast on the day of travel to see how any issues could affect your departure and arrival airports.
-If an airline gets ahead of weather issues, you may be able to reschedule your flight by a few days in either direction with no fees.
-If you decide not to fly your originally scheduled flight in light of major delays and cancellations, get your money or points back.
-Do not settle for an airline voucher that may be hard to use and eventually expire.
It takes more than cold weather to totally stop a flight. Cruising altitudes for commercial airplanes is usually around 10km and for private jets, it’s around 12km. At this altitude, temperatures can go as low -60C. Since planes are designed to fly in this temperature, cold weather on the ground does not, by itself, inhibit flight.
Still, cold weather can impact activities on the ground. While less of an issue for take-off, an icy or wet ground can extremely inhibit a plane’s ability for landing safely. On top of this, heavy snow can decrease visibility which can make navigating difficult.
Delays have significant monetary consequences, including costing both travelers and airlines billions of dollars every year. Airlines are not required to compensate passengers when flights are delayed or canceled; U.S. laws only require compensation when a passenger is “bumped” from a flight that is oversold.
Many credit cards with travel benefits offer protections that cover flight delays, cancellations and lost or delayed luggage. When planning a trip, passengers should keep in mind that airlines do not guarantee their schedules. While airlines want to get passengers to their destinations on time, there are many things that can – and sometimes do – make it difficult for flights to arrive on time.
So the problems, like bad weather, air traffic delays, and mechanical issues, hard to predict and often beyond the airlines’ control shouldn’t be ignored, pre plan, check, and reschedule if you have to.
