Spending the holidays with strangers at an airport could be a reality for many people in the next few weeks. Flight delays and cancelations are part of the holiday travel experience, and everything from the pilot shortage to the weather could be a factor.
"I think we're back to pre-pandemic levels of leisure travel," said Scott Keyes of Scott's Cheap Flights.
Keyes thinks airports will be quite busy and that travelers are mostly aware of the risk they run during the holidays when it comes to cancelations and delays.
"What really irks people — and, I think, justifiably — is the blue-sky cancelation," Keyes said. "That's the flight disruption that happens even when the weather is fine."
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And that happened this summer. Keyes said one in four flights was delayed and nearly 3% were canceled, which is triple the industry standard.
"[It's been fixed] in large part by trimming their schedule to a more manageable level," Keyes said. "Their eyes were bigger than their stomach at the beginning of the summer."
So what can you do to minimize the risk of a delay or cancelation? Keyes has some tips:
- Search for nonstop flights. Fewer flights means less chance that one will be canceled, so try to find a direct flight
- Book early flights. Keyes said the first flight out in the morning has a 25% better on-time performance rate than the last flights of the day
- Don't check luggage. If your flight plans change because of a delay, your bags could end up separated from you.
- Show up early. It can give you time to avoid long lines so you don't miss your flight
And if a cancelation or major delay happens, what can you do?
- Have a backup flight. This doesn't mean one you've already booked, but if you have a flight in mind when you are discussing alternate plans with an airline, they may be able to accommodate your request
- Call international numbers. If you're trying to re-book a flight, you don't need to stand in line. Calling customer service can be faster, especially if you use their international lines because the U.S. numbers might be crowded with other passengers
