You're sitting in the terminal, excited to board your plane within the next 15 minutes and out of nowhere the gate agent announces that your flight has been delayed by 2 hours!

If you've ever traveled on an airplane in the US, you've likely experienced at least one travel delay or cancellation! This post will cover managing delays after you've already gone through Airport Security. Check out my Travel Tips Issue #1 - Getting through Airport Security post for tips on how to quickly / efficiently get through Airport Security.

Quick Tips:

• Whenever you're talking with a gate agent, or any airline representative, keep in mind the old saying "You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar". Be nice to them! They don't control the airplane flight times / schedules. They're just doing their jobs.
• Most airlines will not charge you for flight changes due to delays, provided that you're going to the same destination, on the same day.
• No airline should charge you for flight changes due to cancellations.
• If you're traveling with Carry-On Luggage Only (meaning you did NOT check any baggage prior to the Security Checkpoint), you are more likely to be able to quickly switch flights.
• If you decided to check a bag prior to going through security, your options become limited as the airline has to find your bag, transport it to a new plane, and still get that new plane pushed back from the gate on-time. Since the bag transfer is a one-time deal, it's unlikely they will accommodate you switching to a flight scheduled to take-off within the next 30-60 minutes.
  -- With that said ... It doesn't hurt to try!

Travel Delays

I'm going to discuss 1+ hour travel delays here, since there unfortunately isn't much that anyone can do for a shorter travel delay. The tips below are assuming that you do not have status on the airline you are flying. If you have status and would like some additional tips, I'm happy to provide them in the comments section below!

(sorry for the picture from the 1980's, I don't usually take pictures of airport gate areas and this was the best I could find labeled for reuse)

• If you have a Mobile Boarding Pass (you downloaded your booked airline's Mobile App and checked-in using the App), the first thing you should do is check if they have an option for you to search for alternate flight options on the App! As of the time of this post, Delta airlines has a highly convenient function in their Mobile App for you to re-book yourself on a different flight.

• If you have a Paper Boarding Pass, find the nearest flight board and check if there is another flight going to your destination that is not delayed, and will be leaving earlier than your delayed flight! You can also perform a web search on your favorite airfare site to see if there are alternate flights traveling to your destination. The web search can be helpful if you have a connecting flight and there is a different connecting flight through a different airport than you had originally booked. For example, if you booked a flight from Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) to Detroit, MI (DTW) and are connecting through Minneapolis, MN (MSP) ... you may be able to find an alternate flight from Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) to Dallas, TX (DFW) to Minneapolis, MN (MSP).

Now that you know what alternate flight(s) are available to you, timing is somewhat critical at this point. If you found your new flight online, check the nearest flight board for the gate of your alternate flight. If that flight is within 1 hour of the current time, and the gate agent at your delayed flight is dealing with a long line of people, you might want to walk over to the alternate flight's gate and see if that gate agent can help you switch onto that flight. Some options for who can help you change your ticket are listed below:

• Gate Agent at your current (delayed) flight.
• Customer Service Desk inside the terminal (if one exists).
• Gate Agent at the alternate flight you found.
  -- They won't be at the gate until about 1 hour before the flight, so keep this in mind during your decision.
• Call the Airline Reservations Phone Number for your booked airline.

Note: You'll have to pick the best method based on your individual situation.

Travel Cancellations

This is where having status and/or a Frequent Flyer Number is helpful. Many times the airline will automatically re-book individuals with Frequent Flyer Numbers (provided you associated your FF# with your purchased ticket prior to checking into your flight). Whether or not you have a FF#, here are some tips below:

This part will cover what to do if your now-cancelled flight was NOT the last flight of the day traveling to your destination on your booked airline.

• Immediately get on line at the gate of your current flight (unless there is already a ridiculously long line). Your gate attendant will likely be the quickest person to get you re-booked on the next available flight.
• Be flexible! If there is a connecting flight that will get you to your destination on the same day, consider this option!
• Similar to delayed flights, you can try booking a connecting flight through a new connecting airport (For Example, Connect through Cincinnati, OH [CVG] as opposed to Charlotte, NC [CLT]).
• Review the "Travel Delays" section above for the various airline agents who you can talk with to get onto a new flight.

This part will discuss your options when your cancelled flight was the LAST flight of the day to your destination on your booked airline.

• In addition to the comments in the "NOT the last flight of the day" section,
• If your flight was cancelled due to weather conditions, it doesn't hurt to ask the gate agent if the airline is providing compensation for overnight accommodations, but it is unlikely that you'll receive a voucher.
• If your flight was cancelled due to a maintenance issue, you are likely entitled to an overnight voucher (provided there are any local hotels which the airline works with that are still available at the time your flight is cancelled).
• If it's already 1 AM or 2 AM and your flight is leaving at 6 AM, this may sound outrageous, but you're probably more likely to make your 6 AM flight if you stay and sleep at the airport...
  -- I have slept at the airport 3 or so times. It's not exciting. It's not comfortable. But compared to ordering a taxi at 2 AM, finding a nearby hotel with vacancy, checking-in at 3 AM and leaving for the airport at 4/4:30 AM, it's not a terrible option..

If you find any of what I wrote helpful, please ReSteem / Upvote / Commet below!

Thanks for reading!