10It seems that the world news is full of delays lately. Whether it’s countries striving for their independence from greater regulatory bodies (I think you know what we’re talking about), or just a flight that’s arriving a couple of hours later than scheduled, this is proof that delays can happen to absolutely anyone (although less so if you charter your own jet from Jettly).
If you happen to be on the receiving end of the latter, you might feel a whole host of feelings ranging from frustration, anger, and even despair. But don’t fret – as a passenger experiencing a flight delay or cancellation, there’s actually a lot that can be done in such situations. Keep reading, we’re going to delve deep into what you can do in the event that you experience a severe flight delay or cancellation.
Know your rights
If you happen to land on the wrong side of an egregious flight delay or cancellation, the first thing you should realise is that you’re not powerless. In fact, you have a metric ton of passenger rights enshrined by European law. This is important to know, because it’ll net you some money if you play your cards right. How much money? Between 250 – 600 Euros depending on the
length of the delay, where you were flying to and the distance of the journey.
Once you know you’re going to be delayed, keep all flight documents you currently have as you may need to provide it as proof later. Contact the service department and inquire about delay compensation. Some airlines might be a bit slippery in this regard, so if you don’t want to go through the hassle of fighting with them, try to get in contact with a company such as AirHelp who can help you secure your delayed or cancelled flight compensation.
Don’t go hungry
Were you planning on grabbing that chicken or beef meal once you got on the plane? If a delay or cancellation has caused you to miss your meal, don’t starve in silence. Simply approach the customer service department of the airline in question and tell them what happened.
Most airlines – in fact, all of them – should provide you with a meal voucher which you will then be able to redeem at any restaurant in the airport. Just make sure that you cash in that voucher when and where you get it; once you leave the airport or if you wait too long, the voucher will no longer be valid and you’ll have missed your opportunity for a free meal.
Get some sleep
Don’t let delays or cancellations keep you up at night. If you’ve got a couple of hours to kill, get some sleep instead. This doesn’t mean you should resign yourself to curling up on the cold, hard floor of an airport terminal with nothing but your hand luggage for a pillow. Rather, speak to a member of staff of the airline responsible for the cancellation.
If the delay or cancellation was long enough and serious enough, they’ll put you up in a nearby hotel free of charge. Not only that, but they’ll organize a shuttle to and from the hotel so that you don’t miss your next flight, as well as hook you up with breakfast and additional meal vouchers. So don’t even lose sleep over the thought of a missed flight again.