For starters, I’ve flown thousands of times and I’ve only been diverted a handful of times, five that I can remember, so the likelihood of it happening is rare. However, there’s obviously a chance and if it does happen, you will want to be prepared. No one wants to get stuck sleeping in an airport or get hangry.
Yesterday, my family and I were flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Toronto (YYZ) via Chicago (ORD) on American Airlines. We took an early morning flight (7 a.m.) for multiple reasons:- It was cheaper
- It’s least likely to be delayed since the crew and aircraft are usually in town
- Getting up super early forces you to get on Eastern time when going West to East (I woke my kids up at 4:30 a.m., which is 7:30 a.m. in Toronto)
- If something does go wrong, you still have time to get to your final destination without having to spend the night in a random place
We arrived at LAX at 5:20 a.m. and the airport was busy but not crazy busy like it often is before major holidays. We checked our bags and made our way to the gate. We were on AA 3018, which was supposed to depart from Gate 42A (Terminal 4), which would’ve been easy, but instead it was switched a few hours before to Gate 151, which is in the international terminal (TBIT).
FYI: AA tore down Terminal 5 last month, so they’re using a lot of gates out of TBIT. No matter which terminal you’re flying out of, you still have to check in at T4 (which is also partly under construction) and then go through security at T4.
We used Clear, which was useful this time, and then walked to Terminal B. It’s a long walk but I love TBIT’s modern features. My kids also loved learning about CPR with their interactive machine (every airport should have one). Here’s more information on it.
What’s nice is AA created a makeshift lounge for club members and premium passengers and they did a great job with it, with the exception that there are no bathrooms. It’s going to be in use for 2.5 years as they redo T5. Agents were friendly, the food is pretty good and they had a Christmas tree. They also sell bottles of water for $3, which is cheaper than the shops. Normally, I just fill my kids’ water bottles up but according to my wife, I forgot them. 😉
We boarded at 6:36 a.m., pushed back from the gate at 7:13 a.m. and took off at 7:31 a.m. Flight time was announced as a quick 3:36 but we took a southerly route to avoid storms over the Rockies. We were scheduled to land at ORD at 1:19 p.m. CST.Our pilot said it would be bumpy on descent since there were high winds. Well, it turns out, according to our captain, when we were trying to land there were 50 mph crosswinds and a wet surface, which made it too dangerous. Our plane was running out of fuel, so instead of circling and waiting, we diverted to Kansas City.
When he made the announcement, the cabin went eerily quiet as passengers were trying to comprehend what that meant in terms of their connections, meetings, pickups or they were getting to work like I was. BTW: Kansas City (MCI) is 403 miles from Chicago, so flight time was about an hour, which is more than enough time to get Plan B into place.
Here’s my advice.
1. Book a backup
1. Book a backupAs soon as the captain announced we were diverting, I got on the AA chat (first time) and asked to be rebooked on a later flight since it was obvious I was going to miss our 3:00 p.m. connection. American allows passengers to use AA.com (as well as their inflight entertainment) for free. They also offered 20 minutes of free Wi-Fi for watching an ad. Otherwise, it was a ridiculous $21 for a flight pass.
I used AA.com to check flight schedules and seat availability.
2. Book a hotel
If your flight is at night and there are no other connections available, book a hotel before they all get sold out and then try to get your money back from the airline, your credit card or travel insurance.
3. Bring snacks and water
Our flight attendants only served snacks and drinks once on our flight. They were supposed to serve twice but because it was bumpy, they didn’t. They also didn’t serve drinks or snacks on our hour diversion to MCI. Don’t be at the flight attendants’ mercy. Always pack your own snacks and bring your own water.
4. Charge your device
I always charge my phone mid-flight but I especially made sure it was fully charged this time. Have your charging cable handy and/or bring an external power bank.
5. Use the bathroom as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off
5. Use the bathroom as soon as the seatbelt sign goes offSince most of the flight was turbulent, not many people were able to use the lavatory. Once we landed in MCI and the pilot announced we would be staying on the plane as they refueled, the lines for all three bathrooms were long.
6. Be nice and keep a positive attitude
6. Be nice and keep a positive attitudeEveryone was frustrated, including the flight crew, so make the most of it. I made it into an adventure for my kids and they were excited to visit a new city and airport, though we never deplaned.
7. Keep entertained
This is the time when you really want to bring a fully charged device and headphones. If not, bring a book or magazine. If you have little kids, pack a backpack with all kinds of goodies, including coloring books and washable markers.
8. Have warm clothes and an umbrella
I always recommend dressing in layers when you fly and keeping a compact umbrella in your carry-on. I also have a winter hat even in the summer since planes can get really cold and you never know where you might end up landing.
9. Bring a change of clothes
In addition to dressing in layers, if you’re checking a bag, bring a change of clothes in your carry-on in case the airline loses your luggage. If you’re going somewhere tropical, keep a bathing suit in your carry-on too. Always carry your meds and valuables in your carry-on.
10. Ask the FAs what they think will happen
If it’s not turbulent and the seatbelt sign is off, ask the flight attendants what they think is going to happen. I did this yesterday and the flight attendants said, “We don’t know, but we will most likely just stay on the plane while they refuel and wait for the weather in Chicago to clear up.” That’s exactly what happened.
As you can see from the screenshot above from FlightAware.com, we ended up landing in Chicago at 4:54 p.m., three hours and 35 minutes late. The most important thing is we made it. However, according to the representative in the Admirals Club, they didn’t have many delays or cancellations and she only knew of one other flight being diverted (SNA to ORD). I checked and United didn’t have any, so I’m not sure if AA didn’t originally put enough fuel in the tank or if we just had bad luck with the timing.We made our flight to Toronto and the pilot warned it was going to be really turbulent and that the flight attendants would remain seated most of the flight. I could hear the large gulps from passengers but it ended up being one of our smoothest flights, so you just never know.
