What to do if you are delayed on a flight
The U.S. is currently in the throes of what may be the busiest Labor Day travel period on record.
Between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4, the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 17 million passengers. You may be entitled to financial compensation for the inconvenience you have experienced. Sometimes, you may even be entitled to financial compensation for your inconvenience.
Here’s what you should do if your flight’s been delayed.
Check with the gate agent
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It’s easy to catastrophize when your flight is delayed — especially if you think you might be in for a long wait before things get back on track.
Don’t skip off to the airport lounge at the first opportunity, though. When a flight gets off schedule, the airline will usually work hard to fix it and prevent further damage. As such, the specific timings of your delay can change at very short notice.
Before heading off to entertain yourself and settle in for the wait, take a moment to chat with the gate agents. You can ask about the updated flight time and when you will get another update. You can get the most up-to-date flight departure information through your airline’s app, even though they are usually accurate. Although they’re usually accurate, you’ll get the most up-to-date flight departure information through the airline’s app.
Having multiple sources of information is better than relying on just one source.
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Know your credit card’s delay and cancellation policy
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Here at TPG, we talk a lot about how to make your travel rewards credit cards work for you. Those credit card perks aren’t just limited to earning airline elite status or getting access to the best lounge for planespotting.
One underrated credit card benefit that can come to the rescue when things go wrong is trip delay coverage.
Trip delay protection ensures that you won’t be responsible for additional (reasonable) expenses following a lengthy trip delay due to weather, operational problems, strikes or other unplanned events. You will likely need to pay for the expenses upfront, but you may be eligible for reimbursement by your card issuer after the fact.
Credit cards with trip delay protection include:
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Related: Best credit cards that offer trip delay reimbursement
See if you’re eligible for a refund
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If you decide not to fly on your originally scheduled flight due to significant delays and cancellations, you should get your money or points back. You can cancel your flight and receive a refund through the airline’s app or website. You may have to call customer service to get a refund if you are flying in the EU, from the EU into a non EU country, or from a non EU country to the EU on an EU airline. This regulation covers compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation or long flight delays.
If you arrive at your final destination with a delay of more than three hours, you are entitled rto compensation (unless the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances, like terrorism).
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex, click here
