“Hello, this is Orbitz,” the voice on the other end began.
It was not Automated Betty, the recorded message that usually says my flight is scheduled to depart on time in a few hours. This was a real person — with bad news.
My 5:45 p.m. flight to Dallas on Monday had been canceled. The agent didn’t know why, but Orbitz had booked me on a flight at 8 a.m. Tuesday. I would be back in Kansas City Tuesday afternoon.
My mind began racing. I needed to cancel my shuttle ride to the airport. I had to find a place to stay Monday night — would the airline pay for that? And I really needed to be back at work Tuesday.
But this was still early afternoon. Were other flights available? Why couldn’t I get back home that night?
The Orbitz agent advised me to contact the carrier, American Airlines, directly. I did, and a few minutes later a helpful agent rebooked me on a 4:40 p.m. flight to Chicago and a connecting flight to Kansas City. I grabbed a taxi and raced to the airport.
I had no complaints, but it’s not always that easy. Just ask the thousands of passengers who were affected this week when American canceled flights across the country, including many at KCI, to correct wiring problems on its MD80s. (American didn’t return calls about whether the wiring issue had grounded my flight.)
That’s a nightmare scenario for passengers and the airline. But travelers need a plan of action any time they get stuck at the airport.
Before you travel, program the numbers for your travel agency (including online agencies) and the airline into your cell phone, suggests Jeanenne Diefendorf, a spokeswoman for Orbitz.
If your flight is canceled, the “the No. 1 thing is to call whoever you booked with,” she said. “If you can’t get hold of someone with the agency, call the airline directly.”
As you join the line to see a ticket agent, start dialing. That may speed your solution.
Start looking for options by phone or computer, advised Ed Perkins, a syndicated travel columnist who writes about consumer issues.
“Find out who has the next flight, or the next five or six,” he said. “I’ve found it’s helpful when you’re talking to an agent to present a potential solution — ‘I found another flight. Can you put me on that?’ ”
How an airline handles passengers depends on the airline.
“There are no government regulations,” Perkins said. “Each airline tells you what it will do in its contract of carriage or customer commitment statement.” Look for those at the airport or on airline Web sites.
“Normally, if it’s a cancellation that’s a result of something the airline did — mechanical problem, crew shortage or whatever, the airline will often offer you an overnight accommodation or meal voucher or something like that,” Perkins said. If it’s a weather-related issue, you’re probably on your own.
Any time you fly, some basic rules apply, Diefendorf said.
•Fly early in the day. “You’ll have a better chance of getting booked on another flight later in the day,” she said.
•Fly nonstop when possible. Every connecting flight increases chances of delay.
•Be prepared. “Make sure you pack whatever you’re going to need for the next 24 hours, such as medicines and baby formula.”
Rule 240 isn’t a government regulation but part of the airlines’ tariffs. If the airline cancels a flight for a reason within its control (mechanical, staffing and so on), Rule 240 instructs it to transfer you to another carrier if that line can get you to your destination first.
Many newer and low-cost airlines do not follow Rule 240.
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