If you tried traveling in 2020, then there is a high chance you have experienced a delayed flight or some impediment with the scheduled travel time. Knowing how troublesome, exhausting, and time-consuming it is to read all the regulations imposed by countries in which you are planning to travel and contract terms by airlines, I have decided to provide some tips for present travelers. Unfortunately, these tips won’t eliminate or address the difficulty of traveling these days, but it can be your guide to handling the delayed flight better and staying sane when your patience is running up:
- Avoid checking the luggage
In order to stay flexible and be able to make quick decisions, then you should avoid checking in your luggage at any cost. If you need to reschedule your flight and pick another airline, then you need your luggage with you. Most of the airlines take lots of time to return the luggage to its owner after checking in. If your flight got delayed, then you need to make quick decisions and every second might mean a lot to you.
- Sign up for notifications from the airline
You definitely want to be ahead of developments in these times because the details of your flight might change very abruptly. If the airlines decide to provide its passengers with a connecting flight, it is preferable to be among the first passengers who receive this option. The later you arrive to take the connection flight, the fewer chances you have to get into the flight. There is a high chance the tickets for connecting flights will be oversold quickly and there will be no empty seats left.
- Avoid crowded places
Have you heard about “air rage”? This term represents people who are aggressive during air travel. There are very few people who do not feel stressed before their flight. The reasons for being on the verge of breaking down vary from flight phobia to worrying about your suitcase weight. Hence, it is reasonable that people are more stressed before their flights than before the train or car journeys. Being stuck in the airport is a very unpleasant experience, but it can become worse if you are surrounded by a bunch of angry strangers. A 2017 study by Daniel Stokols, a professor of psychology and social behavior at the University of California, proved that packed flights can increase the rage in people. So, in order to decrease the stress and think with a clear head avoid crowded places.
- Check your airlines’ social media accounts
Most of the airlines have social media accounts and millions of subscribers on YouTube channels because these days it is a lot easier to communicate with your customers through social media. Therefore, lots of airlines tweet information about delayed flights, what one can do about it, and the follow-up information. So, checking the social media accounts of your airlines might be very useful and time-saving.
- Make the best out of it
I had a professor who had to fly often due to her work and was always checking term papers in the airports. Getting your flight delayed is stressful and I get it if you do not feel like reading a book or checking your work emails in that time, but there is much more you could do at the airport. If you have not brought food and drinks from home, you could just walk around the airport and find your favorite food. You could also shop for your friend’s upcoming birthday or buy some gifts for the forthcoming holidays. In the end, airports are multifunctional spaces and you can get almost anything there according to your heart’s desire.