If you read my post about how two airlines just canceled their summer flights to/from Alaska, presumably because of rising fuel costs, surging demand and not enough workers, then you may already know this tip.
I’ve written about this numerous times: As a frequent traveler, you know how imperative it is to keep track of your flights. What’s going on now with more and more routes being changed or canceled isn’t really anything new but it’s definitely happening more frequently thanks to the pandemic and for all the reasons listed above.
Regardless of when or where you are traveling, you should monitor your flights often. You need to make sure the airline you booked with didn’t cancel your route, change your airport(s), dates, flight times or seat assignments.
You wouldn’t believe how many emails I receive from readers asking what recourse they have when an airline cancels their flight. The only recourse they have is to get their money back in full, which isn’t always the ideal solution.
But these days, airplanes are flying close to full loads so if your flight is canceled or they change the route or your seat assignment, then you need to act ASAP since there’s just not a lot of wiggle room for the airlines.
Not to mention, if you don’t catch the change or cancelation until the day before, just realize that to buy a last-minute ticket is most likely going to be much more expensive than the one you bought weeks or months ago.
So in addition to keeping tabs on your reservations regularly, you should also make sure that the contact information tied to your trip is accurate. Just as important, read all emails your airline sends you. Oftentimes, customers think they’re getting a sales email when in fact, it’s the airline alerting you to itinerary changes.
And if you really have to be somewhere like an emergency, a wedding, an important business meeting or a cruise, then plan on going in a day or two before to give you some wiggle room. If you can’t afford to take extra days, then you could try this travel hack to increase your odds of arriving the same day.
