Winter Travel Tips for Flying

Always Fly Direct

The worst winter travel problems frequently occur at connecting airports. If your first outbound flight is canceled and you end up returning to your own home from your local airport, that’s not too bad; if you are stuck in your vacation hotel hoping to get a flight home, that’s a bit worse. But when you’re stuck in a connecting airport in Texas calling hotels and praying for a place to stay, you’re in what I would call your worst-case scenario.

For this reason, you should fly nonstop whenever possible. To find nonstop flights, do all your initial flight searches with the “Nonstop Flights Only” button checked on your favorite booking engine. If you also use search options like “Show Nearby Airports” and “My Dates Are Flexible,” you’ll have a very good sense of how best to get from Point A to B without any Point C for connection.

Beware of Layover Times

If you absolutely must fly with a connection, watch your layover times carefully. If a weather delay causes you to miss your connection, you might be out of luck; the airline is not necessarily obligated to find you a seat on the next flight, and often cannot logistically do so if flights are full or unavailable. If you have a really tight connection time and your flight is running late, tell a flight attendant who may be able to make arrangements to hold your next flight, or at least get you off your first flight quickly.

Watch Out for Bad Weather

Check the weather at your connecting cities as well as at your departure and destination airports. You’ll want to know what the weather is like for the departure and arrival airports (particularly if we’re traveling on vacation), but for the same reasons stated above you’ll want to know what is going on at your connecting airport as well. If the weather looks threatening, contact your airline to see if it can reroute you; it may be in its best interest to do so, and save you a lot of grief. Your chances of getting on a different flight will be greatly enhanced if you’ve already done the research yourself to determine which alternate flights might work best. Don’t count on a gate agent to know about or search the schedules of other airlines.

Connect Through a Warm-Weather Destination

Try to book your connection through a southern city where weather shouldn’t be an issue. There are no guarantees here, as northern airports tend to be better equipped to deal with winter conditions, and a snowstorm can almost wholly shut down an airport that more often suffers from too much sun. However, your odds are better in places that rarely see ice or snow.

Book an Early Morning Flight

Choose a morning flight. For two reasons: First, you are far less likely to have your flight affected by problems at other airports. Second, if your flight is canceled or badly delayed, your options for alternate flights are greatly increased, improving your odds for getting on a different flight by the end of the day.

Route Through Smaller Airports

Consider alternative airports. Very often the problem is not solely weather, but also the overall volume of passengers and flights. In places like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Houston, second-tier airports aren’t too far out of town and are tied into the transportation grid.

Prep for Airport Security Ahead of Time

Get ahead of the game at security. Before you even get in line, put all your gear and spare coins into a pocket of your carry-on bag. With so much valuable stuff getting dumped into plastic bins all day, every day, it’s inevitable that stuff gets left behind, dropped, damaged, broken, or even stolen. If you take 15 seconds to stow everything, you’ll make the time up twice over on either side of the security gate, and won’t risk losing cell phones, wallets, keys, and other essentials. Find more airport security tips in our TSA Frequently Asked Questions guide.

Save the Gift Wrapping for Your Destination

The annual holiday travel rule: Don’t wrap gifts—security will have to rip them open. With the TSA searching checked bags as well as carry-ons, this applies to all of your luggage; not just what you bring onto the plane with you. Consider shipping your gifts ahead of time or wrapping them once you get to your destination. Our complete guide on flying with gifts will help you navigate any holiday packing issue. 

Avoid Peak Travel Dates

Finally, avoid peak travel dates as best you can, particularly holiday weekends. Find out the ideal (and not do ideal) dates to book holiday flights in our handy guide.

Winter Travel Tips for Driving

Stock an Emergency Kit

Put some extra clothing and emergency items into your vehicle; these will come in handy if you break down in cold weather. Assemble a basic kit including a pair of gloves, weather-resistant pants and/or coat, maybe an old pair of boots, a blanket, jumper cables, a flashlight with some extra batteries, and a windshield scraper (and maybe a de-icer), and you should be in good shape. You might also toss a few nutrition bars in as well; things that won’t spoil, are packed with calories, and can bail you out in a pinch.

Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter Weather

Make sure your car is checked over for winter weather readiness. In particular, you or a mechanic should inspect your tires before the first big winter storm.

Prioritize Visibility 

Once your vehicle is inspected and equipped, follow this advice I heard a while back from a Montana snowplow driver: “See and be seen. Keep your headlights and taillights clean, especially in stormy weather. Keep windows clean and make sure defrosters work well. If snow has built up on your vehicle overnight or after a break from driving, clear it away so it doesn’t blow off and obscure your windows.”

Drive Slow

Slow down. The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends slowing down by about 50 percent in bad weather. Also leave extra space between you and the car in front of you in case of slippery roads.

Watch Out for Icy Conditions

Remember that not all stretches of road are created alike. For example, many recently built small bridges and overpasses have been designed to blend into the surroundings, with a gradual or nonexistent change in elevation. These bridges nonetheless remain susceptible to icing over much more rapidly than regular blacktop. Look out and look ahead for these short stretches of road when temperatures approach or drop below freezing. If you don’t know the ropes of driving on icy surfaces, here’s how to drive on black ice.

Skip the Cruise Control

Some features of modern automobiles may actually serve you poorly in bad conditions. In some SUVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles, for example, you may have better traction when the vehicle is under way, but the four-wheel drive won’t help you stop any faster. Also, skip the cruise control; your cruise control feature may accelerate when you least want it to, such as when you are climbing an icy bridge.

Keep Cat Litter On Hand

Some safety experts recommend putting a bag of kitty litter in the trunk, both for added ballast to offer better traction, and to put under the wheels if you need to get yourself out of a slippery spot.

Stay Safe If Stranded

If you’re stranded and have to stay in your car, you can run the engine for heat, but make sure the exhaust pipe is not obstructed by snow or mud. If you prefer not to have the engine running the whole time, close the windows to keep heat in, and run the car for 10 minutes every hour, cracking open a front window when you do so.

Park Indoors When Possible

If you are parking at your hotel or near attractions in bad weather, opt for a spot in an indoor parking garage when available.

The post 18 Winter Travel Tips for Flights and Road Trips appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Under the new federal rules, airlines must promptly provide full refunds, paid out in cash or the original form of payment, whenever a domestic flight is delayed by more than three hours or an international flight is delayed by more than six hours. Refunds must also be given for any baggage fees if luggage arrives over 12 hours late, as well as for services like WiFi or premium seating if those amenities are paid for but not actually provided.

The refunds, which must be issued within seven days for credit card purchases and 20 days by other payment methods, cannot be substituted with travel vouchers or credits against the passenger’s wishes. This policy closes a loophole that previously allowed airlines to force such alternatives in lieu of actual cash refunds.

In addition, the DOT now requires airlines to disclose fees upfront what fees will be charged for checked bags, a carry-on bag, and for changing/canceling a reservation. “The rule will help consumers avoid unneeded or unexpected charges that can increase quickly and add significant cost to what may, at first, look like a cheap ticket,” the DOT said in a statement. In the future, flyers will see these fees disclosed the first time the fare and schedule information is displayed on an airline’s website (and not through a link or at the end when they go to purchase the ticket). 

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them—without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today’s announcements will require airlines to both provide passengers better information about costs before ticket purchase, and promptly provide cash refunds to passengers when they are owed—not only saving passengers time and money but also preventing headaches.”

Finally, the last part of the new rule will require that airlines provide travel credits or vouchers to passengers who are “restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel to, from, or within the United States due to a serious communicable disease.” Although flyers will likely be required to provide proof of their illness, this is good news for anyone who has ever fallen sick before a flight. 

The new rules will take effect over the next six to 12 months. In the meantime, the DOT is also considering working to create policies that would forbid airlines from charging for parents to sit with their children, to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory during delays or cancelations, and to expand rights to allow flyers who use wheelchairs to travel safely and with dignity. 

The post Delayed or Canceled Flight? Airlines Now Owe You Cash appeared first on SmarterTravel.

You get to the airport early, your luggage is checked, you have your boarding pass in hand—and you find out that your flight is overbooked. While airlines can usually find passengers willing to take a different flight in exchange for compensation, it’s the unfortunate truth that the act of involuntarily bumping passengers is pretty commonplace. Most people go calmly, if not happily. But legally if the airline tells you to go, you have to go.

Fortunately, you have rights when you are involuntarily bumped. The Department of Transportation takes this issue seriously and has several rules in place designed to protect and compensate affected passengers. The DOT’s website has the full rules, but here are the highlights:

• First, the DOT requires airlines to give passengers “a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets on an oversold flight and who doesn’t.”
• If the airline re-accomodates you on a flight that gets you to your final destination within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time, there is no compensation.
• If the alternative flight gets you there between one and two hours later (or between one and four hours on international flights), you should receive an amount equal to “200% of your one-way fare to your final destination that day, or $775, whichever amount is lower.”
• Finally, if you’re more than two hours late (four hours internationally), or if the airline doesn’t re-accomodate you at all, you should get “400% of your one-way fare, or $1,550, whichever amount is lower.”

The airline must also refund any optional services you paid for (like seat selection) if you don’t receive them on the alternative flight.

Your carefully scheduled travel plans can be significantly disrupted by an involuntary bumping. While bumping remains relatively rare, the DOT has noted an increased rate of bumping since the start of the pandemic, with July through September of 2022 seeing a bumping rate of 0.22 per 10,000 passengers as compared to 0.19 per 10,000 passengers for the same period in 2019.

So it probably won’t happen to you, which is good. But it’s still important to know your rights. Decrease your chances of getting bumped even further by booking on the airlines that are least likely to bump passengers.

The post What Are Your Rights When You’re Involuntarily Bumped? appeared first on SmarterTravel.

At 8:28 p.m. Universal Time Tuesday night, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Notice to Air Missions System (NOTAM) failed. This critical system flags potential hazards along a flight route or at an airport (such as closed runways or equipment outages). 

Following the failure, the FAA issued a ground stop for the entire United States, which halts all air traffic in and out of the country. Flights that were already in progress were able to land safely.

What Caused the NOATM Failure?

The cause of the system shutdown is still unknown. 

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary, tweeted “The President has been briefed by the Secretary of Transportation this morning on the FAA system outage. There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this point, but the President directed DOT to conduct a full investigation into the causes.”

What to Expect if You’re Flying Today

The FAA allowed flights to resume at Newark Liberty (EWR) and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) around 8:15 this morning, and lifted the overall nationwide ground stop shortly before 9 a.m. ET. Airlines are now dealing with a backlog of flights, so you can expect delays and cancellations to continue throughout the day. 

As of 9:50 a.m., flight tracking site Flight Aware was reporting 4,948 delays and 862 cancellations within, into, or out of the United States today.

Check your flight status before heading to the airport if you’re flying today. If your plans are flexible, many airlines are offering travel waivers to customers traveling today, allowing them to change to a different flight at no extra charge.

The post All US Flights Grounded Overnight appeared first on SmarterTravel.

What Are Minimum Connection Times?

Minimum connection times are the shortest amount of time that airlines can offer as a layover between flights. These standards vary by airport, and can also vary depending on the flight. Larger airports require longer connection times, as do international flights where passengers will need to go through passport control/recheck luggage. 

Minimum connection times are automatically factored into reservations, so too-short layovers won’t be displayed as an option when you search for flights. (Note that this only applies if you’re booking both legs of your flight on the same ticket—if you’re trying to save money by booking two flights separately, you will be responsible for making sure you can make your connecting flight, and won’t have any protections if your first flight is delayed and you miss your connection.)

How Are Minimum Connection Times Determined? 

The minimum connecting times for each airport are determined by airport operating committees or groups of airlines. Sometimes airlines will have their own policy as well for specific airports or individual routes.

The allotted time factors in distance between terminals/gates, security wait times, etc.

How Can I Find out What the Recommended Minimum Connection Time Is for an Airport?

If you’re stressed about a short layover, it can make you feel better to check the minimum connection time for your airport. Many airlines and airports will show this information online.

For example, here are Air Canada’s minimum connection times. You can see that a domestic flight through a smaller airport only requires a 30 minute layover, whereas an international flight from a large airport will require at least one hour. 

What Can I Do If I’m Stressed About a Tight Connection? 

Meeting the minimum connection time is certainly no guarantee that you’ll make your next flight. If you’re booked on an itinerary with an uncomfortably short layover (or if your original flight is delayed, making for an even tighter connection) and you have concerns about making your onward flight, there are a few things you can do to better your chances. 

• Request a seat at the front of the plane to allow you to get off the plane faster.
• Let the flight attendant know that you have a tight connection (especially if your first flight is delayed). They may be able to move you up to the front of the plane toward the end of the flight, and/or make an announcement asking other passengers to remain seated to allow you to be the first off the plane. 
• Download a map of the connecting airport and study the route you’ll need to take to get to your next gate.
• Research if shuttle buses are required to move between terminals, and if walking (or sprinting!) would be faster than waiting for one.
• Don’t check a bag—if you’re connecting to an international flight, you’ll usually have to pick up your bag and recheck it before continuing on, which can slow you down. A tight connection also increases the chances of your bag getting lost.

The post What Is the Minimum Connection Time for a Flight? appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) wants to change that, and has just launched a new interactive tool that helps passengers find out what they are owed for flight disruptions. The tool allows you to select the airline you’re flying on and see what that carrier has committed to for compensation for controllable cancellations and delays.

The tool will show if you’re entitled to any of the following:

• Free rebooking on a new flight by the same carrier
• Free rebooking on a new flight by another airline
• Meal or meal/cash voucher
• Complimentary hotel accommodations
• Free ground transportation to/from hotel

What Is a Controllable Flight Cancellation or Delay?

The tool will only show you what is offered for a controllable flight cancellation or delay. The DOT defines a controllable disruption as, “a delay or cancellation caused by the airline. Examples include: maintenance or crew problems; cabin cleaning; baggage loading; and fueling.”

If the delay or cancellation is caused by something out of the airline’s control, such as weather, these rights do not apply. 

However, DOT reminds flyers that they are entitled to a refund (not a voucher) if an airline cancels a flight or makes a significant schedule change, regardless of the reason. “Airlines are required to provide a prompt refund to a ticketed passenger, including those with non-refundable tickets, should the passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered, such as rebooking on another flight,” according to DOT. You can read more about your right to a refund here.

The post DOT Launches New Interactive Tool for Airline Passenger Rights appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Avoid flying on Fridays, when the number of canceled flights is at its highest. Additionally, AirHelp says, you’ll want to refrain from traveling between 4pm – 9:59pm, which is the time period that flights are most likely to be canceled (regardless of which day of the week it is).

If you want to have the best chance of an on-time arrival, try booking a flight on a Tuesday morning. Morning flights are less likely to be delayed or canceled because the aircraft and crew have generally arrived the night before. You can sometimes avoid weather issues by taking the first flight of the day as well—thunderstorms more commonly occur in the afternoon and evening during the spring and summer. 

Afternoon and evening flights are often delayed or canceled due to a cascading effect caused by disruptions to earlier flights—so taking the first flight of the day improves your chances. Plus, if you’re on the first flight of the day and it gets canceled, you’ll have more options to rebook and get out the same day compared to if you were on the last flight of the day.

Days of the Week With the Most Flight Cancellations 

1. Friday
2. Thursday
3. Wednesday
4. Saturday
5. Sunday
6. Monday
7. Tuesday

The post This is the Worst Day and Time to Fly appeared first on SmarterTravel.

The good news is that travelers sometimes have the option to choose from multiple airports in a single destination (for example, between O’Hare and Midway in Chicago). So it’s helpful to know which airport is statistically more likely to get you where you need to be on-time.

We’ve crunched the data provided by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). A delay is defined as a flight arriving 15 minutes or more past its scheduled arrival time. The information below is for flights that operated in the 2021 calendar year across the 30 busiest airports in the country.

Which US Airports Have The Most Arrival Delays?

If you can, you might want to avoid these airports the next time you fly.

1. Newark (25% of flights delayed)
2. Orlando (24% of flights)
3. Fort Lauderdale (23% of flights)
4. Dallas/Fort Worth (22% of flights)
5. Las Vegas (21% of flights)
6. Denver (21% of flights)
7. Chicago Midway (21% of flights)
8. Tampa (21% of flights)
9. Baltimore (20% of flights)
10. New York JFK (20% of flights)

What Destinations Have the Worst Delays?

It’s worth noting that 8 out of the 10 most-delayed airports are in the eastern half of the country, so passengers flying in or out of that region might want to leave extra time for connections or transfers. 

Which US Airports Have The Most On-Time Arrivals?

If you’re hoping for an on-time (or early!) arrival, try flying into one of these airports. 

1. Atlanta (12% of flights delayed)
2. Minneapolis/St Paul (12% of flights delayed)
3. Honolulu (13% of flights delayed)
4. Charlotte (14% of flights delayed
5. Detroit (14% of flights delayed)
6. Salt Lake City (of flights delayed)
7. Seattle (16% of flights delayed)
8. New York LaGuardia (16% of flights delayed)
9. Washington Dulles (17% of flights delayed)
10. San Francisco (17% of flights delayed)

Which Airline Should You Fly to Arrive On-Time?

Six out of the top 10 on-time airports are Delta hubs; in fact, Delta has the second-best on-time ranking out of the 13 major airlines operating in the US (after leader Hawaiian Airlines). 

For travelers in the New York area, LaGuardia has the best on-time performance of the three major airports in the city

If you’re in Washington DC, Dulles International Airport (IAD) ranks better for on-time performance than Baltimore and Reagan National

Even with its frequent fog, San Francisco is still in the top third of airports for on-time arrivals

Which Airport Has The Most Delays In The World?

It’s important to keep things in perspective. Whilst a 25% delay rate for New York’s Newark Airport is definitely not ideal, there is a major hub in Asia at which almost half of arriving flights are delayed.

That prize goes to the Indonesian capital Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, which has a 48% (!) delay rate. Rounding out the top 5 are Mumbai, Hong Kong, Seoul Incheon and Paris Charles de Gaulle.

In fact, no US airport makes the list of the top 10 worst international airports for delays; it’s solely airports in Asia and Europe that round out that ranking.

The post The Top 10 U.S. Airports With The Most Delays, Ranked appeared first on SmarterTravel.

Over the years, I’ve found myself at an airport overnight on quite a few occasions. Most recently, I was stuck at Minneapolis/St. Paul airport due to flight delays and the last flight of the night to my final destination being postponed until the following morning. While this news is always unfortunate, there are some steps to take in order to get some rest safely and comfortably.

Decide Whether or Not to Get a Hotel

First things first, consider if it will be worthwhile to book a nearby hotel for the night. Many airport hotels offer free shuttles and there are a few airports that even have hotels with direct terminal access such as The Intercontinental Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), TWA Hotel at New York’s JFK Airport, or the Grand Hyatt at SFO in San Francisco. It may be an expensive night, but if you have 10 or more overnight hours before your flight, you may want to bite the bullet and book a room for the night.

If you only need to kill a few hours or the travel time between the airport terminal and hotel means you’ll only get a few hours at the hotel itself, it may not be worth it to spend the money on a hotel you’ll barely get to use. Instead, consider what options you have to pass the time in the airport terminal.

Look for a Lounge

Airport lounges have more comfortable seating and sometimes even private suites where you can get a good night’s rest before your morning flight. If you have Priority Pass, which is complimentary with many premium credit cards, you’ll have free access to 1,300+ lounges across the world. While it’s rare to find 24-hour lounges in the U.S., there are a few in major international airports such as Mexico City (MEX), Paris (CDG), and Singapore (SIN).

In the U.S., look for Minute Suites at select airports for a private room complete with a desk and flat couch designed for napping. These are open 24 hours at Atlanta (ATL), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), and Philadelphia (PHL) airports, and limited hours at a few others across the country. Priority Pass members get one free hour with discounted rates for subsequent hours. Even if you don’t have free lounge access, you may want to consider paying for a day pass.

Ask for a Cot

Many airports are equipped with cots or sleeping mats to accommodate travelers during mass cancellations. Find a representative for your airline or ask someone at an information booth if it’s possible to use a cot so you can sleep more comfortably. An airline agent may also be able to provide you with a pillow and blanket from the plane if you ask nicely. Make sure to wipe down any sleeping surface with a disinfectant to avoid the spread of germs. Airline and airport staff should have access to cleaning supplies or you can bring your own wipes.

Find A Good Spot to Snooze

While instinct may have you go directly to your gate to find your resting place, it may be worthwhile to scope out the airport for comfortable sleeping areas. In Minneapolis, I was able to find several couches where people were snoozing throughout the night—and they weren’t necessarily near any gates. At the very least, try to find a row of seats without armrests so you can actually lie down without needing to lie on the floor.

Sleep Near Other Travelers

If you’re traveling alone, it’s a good idea to sleep near other travelers. While an airport terminal is generally a safe place, the principle of safety in numbers still applies. Any nefarious activity is less likely to happen when others are around than if you are secluded in a corner of the airport all by yourself.

Keep Your Valuables Close

Before you nod off, make sure to secure any valuables. I usually keep my phone and wallet in my pocket, but at the very least it’s best to keep such items in the inside pocket of your luggage. Speaking of luggage, it’s a good idea to wrap a strap around your arm or hug your luggage so no one can easily snatch your belongings while you’re sleeping. Make sure any zippers are facing towards you and lock them with a luggage lock, if possible.

Pack Sleeping Gear

Be prepared by packing emergency sleep gear. A travel pillow and an eye mask can help immensely when trying to get some shut-eye in an airport. If you don’t happen to have these items, get creative by stuffing packing cubes with soft clothing for a pillow or place a t-shirt over your eyes to block the light. It’s also always a good idea to have something warm to wear in your carry-on. Change into long-sleeved clothing to keep warm and use your jacket as a blanket if you’re traveling with one.

Buy Food or Snacks Before Shops Close

Don’t expect the restaurants and shops inside the airport to be open 24/7. If you’re hungry when you land and don’t have any snacks, make sure to get a meal or stock up on snacks before the shops close. It’s always a good idea to have a refillable water bottle on hand as well. Fill up before you find a place to sleep for the night so you can stay hydrated without needing to get up.

Set an Alarm

Don’t miss your flight! Set an alarm on your watch or phone for at least one hour before your flight begins boarding. You’ll want to have adequate time to get yourself situated and find your gate. Keep in mind that you may be a bit groggy after a night of makeshift sleeping arrangements so err on the side of caution and plan to wake up with enough extra time.

Freshen Up

Some airports have access to showers for a fee. After a night of sleeping at the airport, paying for a shower can be a great way to freshen up and get ready for your flight. If the airport itself doesn’t have any shower facilities, many airport lounges offer access to showers.

To find what facilities are available at your airport and get an in-depth look at the best areas to sleep at specific airports, look up your airport at sleepinginairports.net. The website dedicated to catching some Zs while in transit has loads of crowd-sourced information and reviews regarding what to expect when sleeping at airports around the world.

The post 10 Tips for Sleeping in Airports Overnight appeared first on SmarterTravel.

From bad weather to equipment failure, there are a million little things that can and do go wrong when people travel by air. Every passenger will, at some point, experience hiccups en route to their chosen destination. In 2019, there were more than one million flight delays—around 19 percent of all flights—and almost 120,000 flight cancellations (just over 2 percent), according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. As 2021 draws to a close, with travel back on the rise after being hit hard by the pandemic and a labor shortage making it difficult for airlines to meet the demand, flight delays and cancellations continue to be a routine part of many travelers’ journeys. Unfortunately, what you should do when these incidents happen is not always so clear.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to lessen the inconvenience and minimize your chances of an airport delay before you’ve even booked your trip.

Why Are Flights Delayed?

When an airline reports a delay, it is placed in one of five categories created by the Air Carrier On-Time Reporting Advisory Committee, which, yes, is very much a thing. They include:

Extreme Weather: According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, weather woes made up around 38 percent of all delays in 2019. That includes snowstorms, hurricanes, and any other meteorological condition that prevents the carrier from making the flight.

National Aviation System: America’s crumbling infrastructure system has become a key talking point for both political parties, and that includes neglected airports and an outdated air traffic control network. These conditions make it difficult to manage the growing volume of flights and result in delays.

Security Concerns: If your flight has ever been delayed during a government shutdown, it was most likely flagged as a security-related issue. These types of delays are a result of snags in airport security operations such as broken screening equipment, security breaches, or excessively long wait times.

Late-Arriving Aircraft: This is an all-too-familiar scenario for most flyers. Your departure time has come and gone, but you’re still waiting around the gate for your plane to arrive from its previous city.

Air Carrier: This means the delay was entirely within the control of the airline, sometimes referred to in an airline’s contract of carriage as “irregular operations.” Mechanical issues and crew problems would fall under this category. Unlike force majeure events, irregular operations put airlines on the hook, which is why they aren’t always so forthcoming with the reason for these types of delays.

10 Ways to Prevent or Cope with Flight Delays

Nothing throws a wrench into your travel plans quite like airport delays. The secret is to reduce your risk of experiencing them and have coping mechanisms ready to prevent flight delays from spoiling your trip.

Check On-Time Performance

First things first, check the on-time performance stats for your flight before booking. The U.S. Bureau of Transportation allows you to search historical data by flight number, as well as compare by airline or even by airport. Sites like FlightAware and FlightStats also provide flight data, though not quite as thorough. If a flight you’re considering has a history of delays or cancellations, you might want to consider an alternative.

Choose an Early Flight

No one likes schlepping to the airport before sunrise, but being on the first flight of the day has its perks. Early flights won’t yet be affected by delays that ripple through the route system as the day progresses, meaning they are more likely to take off on time. Not only are these early-bird flights typically on schedule, but, because of their unpopular departure times, they are often among the cheapest fares. You’ll be on time and a few bucks richer.

Book a Nonstop Flight

There’s a reason nonstop flights are sometimes more expensive than connecting flights; they could save you significant hassle. If you’re struggling to justify splurging on a nonstop, think of it as reducing your chances for delay by half.

If nonstop flights aren’t available, or that cheap connecting fare is just too low to resist, at least choose your connection city wisely. When flying in the middle of winter, you’ll probably encounter fewer weather-related delays in warmer hub cities like Phoenix, Houston, or Atlanta. In summer, some airports have better on-time ratings than others, so take that into account when selecting your route.

Also consider using smaller airports and avoid busy airline hubs whenever possible. “Secondary” airports are usually less congested and less prone to delays.

Be Proactive at the Gate

If boarding hasn’t started and your flight is scheduled to depart in 10 minutes, it’s safe to assume something is amiss. Gate agents aren’t always the quickest to announce a delay, and it’s possible your plane hasn’t even arrived from whichever city it’s coming from. If you don’t see a plane waiting at your gate, you can check its current whereabouts by searching for the flight number on FlightAware.com to get a sense of how much longer you’ll be waiting until it arrives.

Make sure you’re signed up for text or email alerts from your airline, as these sometimes come even before the delay has been officially called out at the gate.

In the immediate moments after a cancellation or serious delay has been announced, resist the urge to join the angry mob at the gate counter. By the time you reach the front of the line, all the available seats on the next flight might have already been snatched up. Instead, dial the airline’s customer service department as you make your way to a less frenzied general ticketing counter elsewhere in the terminal.

When you do finally speak with an agent, in person or on the phone, be polite. No matter how inconvenienced or angry you may be, yelling at an airline rep isn’t likely to improve your situation.

Know Your Rights in Case of Mechanical Issues

In cases where the delay or cancellation is caused by “irregular operations” such as a mechanical problem, some airlines will rebook you on the next available flight, even if it happens to be on a competing airline. Not all airlines will do this, and even the ones that do might hesitate to offer until prodded by you. To find out exactly what your airline’s policies are on delays and cancellations, study up on its contract of carriage. All fine print and legalese, it’s certainly not the most exciting read, but it can be useful when things go wrong. Before you fly, have a copy of your airline’s contract of carriage at the ready, printed or on your smartphone, should you need to refer to it.

In the chaotic aftermath of a cancellation, it’s entirely possible that your frazzled airline rep may not be aware of every alternative itinerary to get you to your destination. Research other possible routes in advance and be prepared to offer up other flights that work for you. If you search for a few flights on other airlines within a few hours of your original flight, you’re way ahead of the game when you try to transfer your ticket to another airline. Ultimately, the original airline has to sign off on the transfer.

Check the Weather Before You Go

Weather forecasting is pretty reliable 48 to 72 hours out, so be on the lookout for any potential situations that could cause an airport delay.

No time to keep your eye on the brewing storms? KnowDelay can do it for you. The service uses weather tracking and airline flight schedules to predict whether your flight might be impacted by poor weather—at no charge. It covers 36 of the United States’ busiest airports. Create an account to track your flights and receive alerts as far as three days in advance about potential weather problems. You can decide ahead of time to rebook your flight before it’s canceled.

Know Your Rights When Flights Are Delayed or Canceled Due to Weather

When a particularly nasty storm causes thousands of flights to be delayed or canceled, the airlines are in a mad scramble to reschedule and accommodate passengers however they can. If weather conditions appear just as iffy in your connecting city, you can ask to be rerouted through a different one.

The rules vary by airline, but refer back to your airline’s contract of carriage for details on what they’re willing to do for you in the event of excessive delays and cancellations. Some may provide meal or hotel vouchers. They don’t always offer, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Most airlines waive change fees during major weather events, so you can reschedule even before you get to the airport. If you’re not thrilled with your rebooking options available, you may request a refund even when your original ticket is nonrefundable.

Consider Getting a Hotel Reservation

Some hotels don’t charge your card until you show up at the front desk, so it’s usually safe to book a room and cancel if your flight does take off reasonably on time. Make sure to check the cancellation policy first before booking. (Many hotels will charge you if you don’t cancel at least 24 hours in advance.)

When an airport delay happens, you won’t be the only one scrambling for an airport-adjacent hotel room at the last minute. Beat the crowds by outsmarting them: Add a last-minute hotel-booking app or two to your smartphone, so if you do need to grab a hotel room you can do it fast.

Save Key Numbers in Your Phone

You don’t need the memory of an elephant to be able to call a reservation site, a hotel, your airline, or any travel company. Just save these numbers in your phone before your trip starts. Include the numbers for your airline, a nearby airport hotel, and your booking site or travel agent, if you used one. (If you have elite status of any kind, use the phone number for frequent flyers to get better service.)

Buy Travel Insurance

Many travel insurance policies include coverage that will cover hotel rooms, meals, or other expenses associated with flight delays. Of course, you’ll need to purchase before your trip to have that protection. Any storm system that develops before you buy a policy will likely be excluded from coverage.

Tracy Stewart’s travel advice has been featured in outlets including the Washington Post, Consumer Reports, and Frommer’s.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2019. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Ed Hewitt, Christine Sarkis, Jessica Labrencis, and Michele Sponagle contributed to this story.

The post How to Prevent Flight Delays (and What to Do If They Happen Anyway) appeared first on SmarterTravel.