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Flight Delays and Cancellations - Your rights (2)
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If you do find yourself stranded as the result of a flight delay
or cancellation, as frustrating or potentially damaging as it may
be, try to remain calm and reasonable when dealing with the airline
staff. Remember that you are only one of potentially hundreds of
people who will be in the same predicament, so screaming or becoming
agitated or aggressive to the airline staff will not help your cause
at all. There is a good chance you’ll get a lot more assistance
from them if you remain polite and courteous – particularly
if those around you do not. Politely asking what your alternatives
are as opposed to demanding solutions might often yield more favourable
results in a bad situation. |
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Try to find out the exact reason for the delay to the flight. If
your flight is delayed due to things outside of the airline’s
control, such as weather, security issues and such, then you’ll
probably find that the airline will adopt a very minimal attitude
toward offering compensation or alternative arrangements. If, on
the other hand, your flight delay is due to events such as staffing
issues, mechanical problems, or chronic scheduling issues then most
good airlines will go above and beyond their legal requirements
and do what they can to make your delay as short, or at least as
comfortable, as possible. When you know that the airline is specifically
at fault for your delay you normally have greater leverage when
it comes to asking for assistance. Meals, phone calls, transport
costs and even accommodation costs might be met by the airline in
such circumstances, but again, remaining calm and polite will undoubtedly
win you more favours than not.
If the flight delay is due to overbooking then you are in an even
stronger position. Overbooking happens all the time in the airline
industry and if you get bumped from a flight due to this reason
then you should normally be offered a cash incentive in addition
to a booking on another flight. In the event that you are bumped
from an evening flight, hotel and food costs will also be met by
the airline. Obviously if an airline cannot find enough volunteers
to bump from a flight they might be more accommodating with their
reimbursement. Leave it too late to volunteer however and they may
just bump you with a minimal compensatory offer. |
Remember that at the end of the day an airline is a business first
and foremost. They are in it to make a profit and while they will
often do what they can for you in the event of a flight delay
or cancellation, they will obviously try to ease your pain as
cheaply as they possibly can. There is certainly no harm in asking
an airline if they provide meal vouchers and such in the event
of a flight delay, but don’t expect all airlines to offer
that information freely unless asked. And don’t be afraid
to ask.
Despite the free meals,
cash rebates and hotel accommodation offers, having your flight
delayed or cancelled is almost always a case of damage limitation.
The airlines are not responsible for missed meetings, shortened
holidays, or any other calamity that might result from a delay
to their schedules, simply because their schedules are not guaranteed.
If you absolutely must be in a certain place at a certain time,
then make sure you have a backup plan in mind in the event of
a problem, and take out adequate insurance to meet your financial
costs.
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