15 Expert Tips for Managing Flight Cancellations Like a Pro

Whether it’s a work trip or a vacation, flight cancellations are a huge headache and can really wreck your travel plans. Mechanical problems, bad weather, passenger disruptions and even software system glitches, are all factors that can lead to delays and cancellations.

Thankfully, in all my years of flying most of my flights have been problem free. But it was that one trip from from Atlanta to Maui when the Los Angeles (LAX) to Maui’s Kahului (OGG) leg was cancelled – due to a mechanical issue, causing me to miss 24 hours of a long awaited workcation – that prompted this article.

Don’t get me wrong – I’d much rather be delayed than face a serious emergency – but having to rearrange everything is a huge inconvenience. I realized that since most of my flights had been on time, I wasn’t really sure how to handle disruptions when they did happen.

Around the same time my daughter experienced a 36-hour delay returning to Nevada from Atlanta – on what was supposed to be a quick layover in Dallas. After these two flight cancellations I learned a lot! I decided to put together list of things that really helped me and hopefully will help you too if you find yourself in a similar situation.

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Be Prepared for Flight Cancellations

Preparation is everything – David Robinson

My husband calls it negativity, I call it being realistic or being prepared. If you are someone who flies for travel, at some point, you will experience flight cancellations or delays. Why? Because the Federal Aviation Administration estimates there are nearly 45,000 flights every day and around 3 million passengers passing through U.S. airports.

With such a high volume of air traffic, schedule disruptions, delays and flight cancellations are inevitable. What can you do to survive flight cancellations with the least amount of stress? Be prepared and implement these suggestions.

1. Know What the Airlines Offers

When you book a plane ticket with an airline you agree to a Contract of Carriage. That contract outlines the rights, duties, and liabilities of both parties. In very simple terms it states that the airline is responsible for getting you to your destination and if they don’t then they are obligated to make it right or make it up to you.

Most people don’t take the time to read a contract of carriage, but the U.S. Department of Transportation – the department who oversees airline industry has. They’ve put together an easy to understand dashboard with, in their words, the “services that U.S. airlines provide to mitigate passenger inconveniences when the cause of a cancellation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control”.

Mechanical issues fall under controllable cancellations. So, before you book your next ticket, head over to the DOT’s website and take a look at what airlines are prepared to offer when flight cancellations or delays happen. That way you know your rights and you’ll be better equipped in asking for compensation for things like hotel rooms or meal vouchers.

Depending on the circumstances of the cancellation, passengers are generally eligible for some kind of compensation but remember they won’t be handing out cash in the airport. While you certainly have the right to follow-up with the airline later, it’s the things you can do immediately that make flight cancellations more comfortable.

2. Book Flights With the Legacy Airlines

This next tip isn’t to throw shade at Frontier or Spirit. Those airlines have their place. I happen to love Frontier and their fun animal livery. But if it’s an important event I need to get to or something when I have a strict timeline, then I don’t fly Frontier.

The reason for that is Frontier has a limited fleet. Most of their planes are in use all the time. If you happen to get stuck because of a delay or cancellation, you will be there until their next flight out. If that airport isn’t one of their home bases, it could be a day or more until the that flight.

The chances of them bringing a plane from somewhere else are slim to none. How do I know? Because my daughter was on a Frontier flight when she spent those 36 hours in Dallas. And they offered little guidance or support. The only option was to wait on Frontier.

Good thing she has an understanding job and boss. Some people do not. Ultimately, Frontier secured her a hotel room and gave her a meal voucher, which was helpful but the entire ordeal was stressful for a young 20-something traveler without a lot of experience. Other airlines, like Delta, are better equipped to to handle issues when they arise.

I would rather speak to – and follow up – with a real person. (I can’t say much about Spirit’s customer service because I have only flown them once and my flight was delayed. But that’s a story for another time). Delta has a well-trained customer service department and Frontier does not. Most everything with them is done via chat.

My point is – if you need to be somewhere and don’t have the luxury of time or the time to wait then book with the legacy carriers – Delta, American, United (I had a really bad experience with United and will not fly with them but others love them) and even Southwest.

With the Maui cancellation, Delta automatically rebooked me on an another flight the next morning when our original plane was not cleared to fly. And the only other cancellation I’ve ever had with Delta, they brought an entirely different airplane to fly all the passengers to Atlanta.

If you decide to fly Frontier or Spirit – or another low cost carrier – my advice is book a direct flight, early in the morning. That way you have the rest of the day to get on another flight if yours cancels. If a direct flight is not an option and the only flights have layovers, then choose a layover in a city that’s one of the airline’s home bases. You’ll have more options available for alternate flights in case of a cancellation.

3. Purchase Your Tickets With Credit Cards That Offer Benefits

Credit cards that come with useful travel benefits like trip insurance, lounge access and concierge services are your best friend when you have a flight cancellation or delay. Having the luxury of passing the time in a comfortable chair with food, drinks and better wifi is priceless in this stressful situation.

Most people think they need a credit card with a hefty annual fee for travel benefits but actually there are credit cards with no – or low – annual fees offering the same perks. Chase and Capital One both have cards with travel insurance covering delays, trip interruption, and yes, even flight cancellations when using their card.

And the price? The entry level Capital One VentureOne Rewards card has no annual fee and the upgraded Venture card only has a $95 annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card (my favorite pick) has an annual fee of just $95 and comes with a whole list of travel freebies.

Of course, all credit cards differ in what they provide so definitely read the fine print and investigate which one is right for you. I find the The Points Guy and NerdWallet to be two of the best websites for comparing credit card benefits and fees.

4. Travel With More Than One Credit Card

Speaking of credit cards, I’m always a bit surprised to hear people say they travel with only one credit card. Okay, but what happens when for some reason that one card doesn’t work? I’ve had that happen. In fact, I’m sure we’ve all had that happen.

Or what will you do when you return from vacation with a maxxed out card – again no shame, we’ve probably all been there too – and unexpected expenses, like flight cancellations arise, how will you cover them? Having an extra emergency credit card to help manage the crisis until you can recover your losses from the airline or travel insurance is invaluable.

One more thing I also recommend is carrying multiple brands of credit cards. While it’s not usually an issue here in the United States, some cards like American Express and Discover are no widely accepted in some other countries. Visa and Mastercard are the way to go.

5. Join the Airline’s Frequent Flyer Program

Being a member of an airline’s frequent flyer program can prove to be very helpful when facing flight cancellations or even a delayed flight. Membership gives you a bit more clout. Showing that you care enough to join their program and fly with them goes a long way in getting better support and help from customer service.

It might not get you to your destination quicker because let’s face it, a customer service rep hundreds of miles away can only do so much. But there still are good reasons to join and remain loyal to an airline. Many frequent flyer programs come with perks like priority boarding, free bags and even an occasional upgrade just to mention a few things.

6. Use the Airline’s App

Short of staying in touch with gate agents and airline personnel, the best way to stay up-to-date with flight changes and possible flight cancellations and delays, is by utilizing the airline’s app. All airline apps, that I know of, have the option to receive push notifications, and even texts, as soon as updated info is available.

Signing up for these alerts possibly mean you’ll find out what’s going on before airline workers know. This can be really helpful in getting things done quickly or moving on to the next phase of a flight cancellation instead of just sitting around waiting and not knowing what’s happening.

7. Download a Flight App

A third-party flight tracking app is also very helpful to have when traveling. Not only can you check things like airport delays and weather but you can check the conditions at the airport where your plane is coming from and track that inbound airplane.

If you discover your inbound plane is delayed, or even cancelled, then you’ll know right away to start preparing of a flight schedule change. This is crucial in rebooking and getting help as soon as possible. FlightAware is a great free resource and the app I use all the time. I’ve also read good things about Flighty but it’s only available for iOS. (I’m an Android user).

8. Call the Airline Directly

Once it’s confirmed that your flight is indeed cancelled, you have a couple of choices. You can let the airline handle everything, or you can try and rebook your own flight. When cancellations occur, airlines typically attempt to rebook you on the next available flight.

If the next flight is full, the situation becomes more challenging. While some airlines may rebook you on partner airlines, others, like Frontier, don’t offer this option because they don’t have partners.

For instance, with my Maui flight, Delta rescheduled our flight for the next morning and attempted to repair the plane. When they weren’t successful, they booked us on an existing flight to Honolulu, with a connecting flight from Honolulu to Maui on Hawaiian Airlines, their partner.

It wasn’t necessary to speak with anyone. Delta handled everything but still gave me the option to make changes, or get a refund. Although, I wasn’t thrilled with a added stop, taking what they offered meant getting to Maui quicker than some of the other passengers who were rebooked on much later flights.

Everything worked out as good as it could have in this scenario without me doing anything. That’s not always the case though and there’s nothing that says you can’t proactively call the airline for options and to get a head start on a new flight. Especially if there’s a long line at the help desk.

Southerner says: Save the airline’s phone number in your contacts before you travel.

9. Book Your Own Accommodations

Just as you can proactively rebook your flights you can also take charge of your hotel accommodations. If a flight is canceled due to mechanical issues, the airline might offer to book a hotel for you. However, this often involves waiting for them to make arrangements and staying in whichever hotel they choose.

If you prefer not to wait, you can book your own accommodations and then request a refund. It’s important to remember that reimbursement policies vary by airline, so check the policy. Hold onto all your receipts and documentation related to the expenses incurred so you can submit them when following-up with customer service. Some airlines don’t even require a call. Delta has a reimbursement form right on their website.

Being a member of a hotel loyalty program is also beneficial in this situation. Popular brands like Marriott and Hilton offer extras like upgrades, welcome gifts, free shuttles and late check-outs. They’ll even assist in finding a room if you having difficulty doing so. Another bonus is many times these brands have on-site restaurants and room service – one less thing to worry about with late night cancellations.

10. Stash Snacks and a Water Bottle in Your Personal Item

There will be times when none of these strategies work and you might not have access to a lounge, a nice hotel or even food. It seems my daughter had everything go wrong when she was stuck those 36 hours at DFW airport. She arrived just as the airport restaurants were closing on her late night flight. Even though Frontier handed out meal vouchers, there was no where to use them.

A protein bar, some nuts or crackers, would have come in handy. Now, she never flies without something to eat. After her experience, even when I’m flying with an airline that passes out in-flight snacks, I pack my own snack box. That way, no matter what, I’ve got something to keep me going. Of course, lounges can be useful for grabbing food but even they aren’t open 24/7.

Also, you can’t go wrong with bringing a refillable water bottle on your trip. More and more places, like airports and hotels, have hydration stations and water filling stations. I know it’s one extra thing to carry around but it means you’ll stay hydrated, save money and help the environment with less single serve plastic.

11. Have Some Cash on Hand

Even though it feels like we live in a cashless society at time, having some bills and change on hand for incidentals when you travel is another thing to help you deal with flight cancellations. Not only is cash essential for small purchases and tips but having cash with you might be the difference in eating or not.

Imagine my daughter, unable to use her meal vouchers at the airport, arriving to her hotel (I use the word hotel lightly) and finding cash only vending machines when she had no cash. Like I said, her luck really ran out that trip. If you ever find yourself in a similar flight cancellation situation and don’t have cash, then look for an ATM in the airport.

12. Use a Carry-On

Another possibility with flight cancellations is there may not be access to your suitcase. Under some circumstances if the luggage is already loaded on the plane when the flight cancels they might not remove it. At LAX, we were ready to push back when they decided to delay the flight. All the checked luggage was stowed below.

Since the airline planned to fix and use the same plane the next day, the luggage was left onboard and no one had access to their checked bags. Packing a few essentials items like toiletries, underwear and a change of clothes in your carry-on is a lifesaver. Better yet, consider skipping the checked bag altogether. It might take a bit of extra effort but once you do it, you’ll probably do it every time.

Southerner says: Always keep important things like medication, travel documents and your wallet in your carry-on or in your personal item in the cabin.

13. Know the Airport’s Layout

Flight cancellations can be a bit easier if you know the layout of the airport you are traveling through. That way if worse comes to worse and you have to stay at the airport for a long period of time, you can find a more peaceful place to pass the time. Some airports like Chicago’s O’Hare have hotels attached and some offer pod-type, or minute sleep rooms, where you can pay a quiet place to rest.

In Atlanta, one of the best spots to rest is the rainforest-themed walkway between Terminals A and B. With soft lighting and calming nature sounds, it’s a way more peaceful place to rest than the brightly lit gate areas. For more ideas, check out the website Sleeping in Airports, which shares traveler-recommended airport spots around the world.

14. Always Purchase Travel Insurance

While all these tips and suggestions can certainly help mitigate some of the issues that arise from flight cancellations, the ultimate solution for covering any financial losses associated with cancellations – unfortunately it doesn’t help with the time lost – is by purchasing travel insurance with trip protection.

Travel insurance is really the only way to make sure you are fully protected no matter which airline you’re flying. The airline’s rules and what they are willing to offer matters less because you’re covered by a third-party with benefits you selected and purchased. Most travel insurance even covers lost or delayed bags.

Travel insurance policies can also include health and accident insurance – if you purchase that type of policy. I always recommend verifying what your health insurance policy covers when traveling out of your home area first and go from there. Even if you do have coverage away from home, most health insurance won’t pay for services like medical evacuations or air ambulance costs, both which can cost thousands of dollars.

To find the right policy, plenty of websites compare coverage across multiple companies. Two of my go-to options for general travel are TravelInsurance.com and InsureMyTrip.com. If you’re a long-term traveler or digital nomad, consider providers like World Nomads or SafetyWing, which cater to extended trips and remote work lifestyles

15. Contact the Department of Transportation

Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, the airlines fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Transportation. If you feel that your rights have been violated, or if you’re dissatisfied with the outcome and the airline’s response to your flight cancellation, or delay, then you have the option to file a complaint with the department.

Notifying the department that oversees such an integral part of travel in the United States can prompt an investigation and maybe even lead to policy changes that more effectively address issues that affect travelers. In the last big IT glitch in 2024 the department received over 3,000 complaints and launched an investigation into Delta Airlines.

A Final Word About Flight Cancellations

Flight cancellations are never fun, but these tips can make them easier to handle. Will they save the day in a major crisis? Maybe not – but being prepared gives you a huge advantage. Just like you plan your itinerary or think about travel safety, it’s worth putting a little thought into planning for the unexpected.

The more ready you are, the faster you can adapt and keep your trip on track. If you’d like a hand planning a trip that’s both exciting and stress-free, I’d love to help. Just send me an email and we’ll start creating your perfect getaway together.

See you on the road!