Airlines Have Already Cancelled 2300+ Flights, What to Do If Yours Was One of Them

According to USA Today, airlines have already cancelled 2,300+ flights for Thursday in anticipation of the winter storm headed to the Northeast. If your flight winds up being impacted, here are some tips for making the best of a bad situation.

Don’t Wait
The minute you hear or see your flight has been cancelled, spring into action. Call the airline (the wait times will already be pretty long) and also get online to see if you can access flight options on their website. Avoid the inclination to wait to see what the airline rebooks you on or until you get to the airport. The longer you wait, the fewer flight options you might have as everyone from your flight attempts to get rebooked.
Invoke “Trip in Vain”
If your trip is for a specific reason — such as a business meeting or wedding — and a long delay will negate the reason for your trip, you could be eligible for a refund or be able to reschedule to other dates. I successfully used this when my 48 hour weekend trip to my parents would have been cut to a little over 24 hours, getting booked for the following weekend instead.
Research Your Options & Be Flexible
Be prepared with a list of flights and airports that would work for you. While you’re waiting to talk to an agent, consider alternative airports and look at all the flights in the next couple of days to see your options. When they offer you a new flight, you’ll need to make up your mind quickly or risk losing it to another passenger.
Be Courteous
Its not the airline staff’s fault that the weather is bad (and so is their reservation software), and taking your frustration out on them won’t inspire heroic efforts to get you home as soon as possible.

Even if your flight hasn’t been cancelled yet, keep these two suggestions in mind…

Check Your Flight Status Hours/Days in Advance
Don’t depend on emails and automated calls to alert you to a cancellation. Check on your reservation every couple of hours to make sure that everything is still running smoothly. The faster you act, the better the chance there are available seats on other flights.
Make Use of Airline Travel Advisories
During times of bad weather, airlines often waive the change fees for flights in/out of affected regions. If you’d rather fly a few days before or after your original dates to avoid hassles, check your airlines travel advisories.
American Airlines Travel Notices
Delta Travel Notices
United Travel Notices
Spirit Airlines Travel Advisory
Frontier Airlines Travel Alerts
JetBlue Travel Advisory
Southwest Travel Advisory
Alaska Airlines Travel Advisory