Friday, 17 October 2014

Dealing with Flight Delays 




Delayed or cancelled flights are the bane of air travelers anywhere. The factors which bring about sudden and unexpected changes in airline departure schedules are varied, and many of these are unavoidable such as weather and safety considerations. Nonetheless, there are measures which you can take in order to lessen the risk of a delayed departure when you leave ShaSa Resort to go home.



Book with a more reliable airline 

Check and compare the carriers’ track record on their on-time performance. Their websites can be a good source of this information as well as the online portals of aviation authorities which monitor not only the airlines’ fidelity to their schedules but also their routes’ turnaround times, average delays, and delay frequency.


Go even choosier on connecting flights

 
Booking a non-stop flight should be your priority. But if you can’t avoid having a connecting flight, reduce the chances of missing it by allowing enough lead time to compensate for the possibility of a delayed schedule. Again, check info on aviation authorities’ websites on which carrier or airport have problems on connecting flights.



Having enough leeway for a connecting flight can also work to your advantage. Should you arrive early and just have carry-on luggage, there’s the possibility of flying on an earlier flight as a standby passenger and still have a reserved seat on the next flight. The carrier will be happy too if your original flight has a heavy booking as they’ll have an extra seat available.



Give least preference on a last flight

 
When booking with your airline of choice, limit your choices to those flights leaving at least an hour or two prior to the last flight. Should your original flight be cancelled or delayed, there’s still the possibility of flying in the next aircraft scheduled to depart. This way, you’d be able to avoid the inconvenience of sleeping at the airport or spending extra in a hotel which would happen if the last flight you booked is cancelled.



Input flight delays in your itinerary

 
Take into consideration possible flight delays in setting up appointments and schedules in your travel itinerary. This will help make your trip less stressful as flight delays are one of those things that air passengers just have to live with.
photo credit: Jordiet. via photopin cc

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