Ugh – Winter Storm Flight Cancelations

Traveling can be tiring, but when flights are canceled due to winter storms it can be downright exhausting. We’re headed into storm season across the country, so we thought we would take some time to give you a few tips on how to deal with weather cancelations.

Avoiding Cancelations – Forbes has a great article on the worst airlines to fly when it comes to winter flight cancelations. Their advice – book flights directly through large airlines; don’t book flights when they are operated by regional carriers. You’ll need to pay attention to the fine print when booking. Most carriers list whether the flight is operated by them, or by a regional partner airline.  When flight delays stack up it’s usually the smaller airlines that get bumped over the larger carriers with big planes full of connecting passengers.

Preparing for the Worst  – When packing for a flight, be sure to keep any essentials in your carry on. Medications, key toiletries, chargers, and appropriate clothing will be very important if you get stuck in bad weather.

Rebooking – Rebooking your flight can sometimes be a feat in itself. Long customer service lines, and seemingly endless hold times certainly don’t make things any less stressful. In addition to contacting the airlines via phone or help desk, try rebooking yourself on their website. If you still aren’t having any luck, there are a growing number of people who swear by reaching out to the airlines via social media like Facebook and Twitter. Often times you’ll get a much quicker response.

For more information on how to handle flight cancelations, Frugal Travel has a great blog – When Your Flight is Cancelled  – DO THIS^.