How to cope when flights are grounded
Jetting to Europe this summer? There's no telling whether Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano will continue to erupt and ground flights in Ireland, Scotland, England or beyond.
Genevieve Shaw Brown, senior editor at Travelocity .com, offers advice for coping with unexpected delays.
FLY SMART Taking direct flights whenever possible makes you less vulnerable to issues that can crop up in layover cities. Traveling through major hubs is also a good strategy, as there are likely to be more options than at smaller airports.
BE PREPARED It's crucial to keep important items with you at all times - cell phone chargers, medications, airline contact and rental car company information.
GET INSURANCE Travel insurance can be a great investment, but you must read the fine print. In the case of the volcano eruption, your policy would have needed to cover natural disasters. However, all airlines have issued flexible travel policies and many are offering refunds.
BE FLEXIBLE Know your options. Perhaps you had a flight to New York, but the best the airline can do is get you to Washington, D.C. - it may be worth it to take the flight and figure out the rest of your journey when you get closer to home. Similarly, if your carrier has canceled flights to your destination but another carrier is operating, knowing this and asking the gate agent to accommodate you on another airline is also a possibility.
GO MOBILE If you sense mass cancellations, - due to weather, etc. -you want to be the person with the hotel room. Download a mobile application that will allow you to book a hotel room from your smart phone without waiting in lines or being put on hold with the hotel.
RECOUP LOSSES In most cases when there are mass disruptions of flights, airlines issue flexible change policies that allow you to take your trip later. It is generally true that hotels also are more lenient with cancellation policies during difficult times and will either refund your money, allow you to cancel with no penalty or reschedule your trip.
