Question about flght delays & how it is handled (1st time flyer) (cost, hotel)

[Anders15]

Hi I will be flying to Seattle in Jan but because of their recent weather I was wondering about how the process of flight delays work. I have never flown before so I'm sure these are basic questions. Mainly what happens when your flight is delayed or if your are grounded? Does the airline/airport pay for you to go to a hotel.. or are you forced to sleep in at the airport?

The entire scenario sees chaotic and I will be in Seattle from Virginia alone for the first time. I want to be aware of all potential set backs and how to deal with them, what should I know beforehand? Is there some type of insurance I should buy with the ticket? Does it matter what airlines I take (because I will have to get onto another plane midway across the US) so please help. Thanks.

[Mattie]

You sound nervous, don't be. There will be plenty of people around to assist you.

In a case of delays, you just wait. If you miss your connecting flight, they will get you a seat on the next available flight. If there are no more flights scheduled for that day, you "might" be able to get a food/hotel voucher, it doesn't hurt to ask, but airlines no longer offer anything.

You don't need insurance to cover delays or cancellations, you will get either a later flight or a refund (in case of cancellation). If there is a chance your plans might change, that's when insurance could be useful.

[slackjaw]

Good advice by Mattie. You'll be fine, drama is the exception not the norm so allow yourself plenty of time and you'll be fine.

[loyaltycbm]

Thanks for this nice post .....

[Dd714]

Just so you know what the airlines responsibility is (which may vary based on airline policy):
-If it's a weather delay, "act of God" - you are on your own. Don't expect any kind of reimubrsement or compensation from the airlines. They will put you on next flight, if you are stuck at airport - food and if needed hotel is your responsibility.
- If it is a mechanical issue or something where airline is at fault. If over a certain time period (3 hours?) they will give you coupons for food and if needed hotel. You may have to ask for it. Again they will put you on the next flight even if it's another airline.

Rarely does it come to that. Airlines often leave late - a 1/2 hour, an hour. You should have a cushion in your arrival times that will compensate for that.

[Alaskan Mutt]

If the flight delay is the airlines fault, usually they will put you up in a hotel. If the delay is beyond the airlines control such as weather, you are on your own for lodging. If your flight is cancelled due to weather, the airline will try to rebook you on a later flight. Around Christmas time it could be a few days before you get another flight. Since you are traveling in Jan this should not be a problem as there are usually plenty of open seats after the holidays.

[mels]

Good advice above...also the most important thing is to check the status of your flight before you leave for the airport. If you know before you leave your house that there is a 2 hour delay, that is two less hours you'll have to hang around the airport.

[FlyMIA]

Delays are just that, you will just have to wait for your flight to leave. If the weather is very bad and you are grounded different airlines have different policies about hotels. ALL airlines will fly you out as soon as they can its not like you lose your ticket. Now lets say your flight is grounded and you say there is no reason to go to seattle then you can use the money you spent on the ticket for another flight.

Most likely your flight will leave on time and there wont be too much of a problem.
You said you are connecting if your flight is delayed make sure to go to the counter and figure out how your connection will work out or if they need to re-book you on a new flight etc.. Dont worry the airline WILL get you to your final destination.

Also I suggest you put in the airlines reservation number into you cell phone. So incase something does happen you can wait on line and on the phone to get the quickest service posssible.

[annerk]

Keep in mind that if your flight is canceled, you won't be put on the next flight, but rather the next flight with available seats. That means that during a peak travel season in a busy airport, it could be a day or two before a seat becomes available. This happens here in Orlando fairly regularly when bad storms along the east coast cause canceled flights.

Best bet is to know what other options you have--can they get you to another airport in the vicinity you are traveling to? I had a flight to Albany cancel and managed to get rerouted to Hartford, caused me a couple hours delay. Considering that there were 98 passengers on that flight and I knew that there were maybe 40 seats on the remaining flights for the day, the chances were that I might not get there that day at all, so getting close and making ground travel arrangements that cost me a couple of hours was certainly a better option.

Also keep in mind that the airlines don't all codeshare and are under no obligation to transfer your ticket over to another carrier that they don't have reciprocity with. Southwest, JetBlue, Allegiant, if you are booked on one of them, the chances of getting a seat on another airline without paying for it is slim to none. Best bet is to book with a Star Alliance member, their tickets are pretty easily transfered to another Star Alliance member in case of a cancellatioin.

You got some overall good advice. Just go with the flow, and understand that delays happen and there's nothing you can do about them. The advice about calling the reservations number instead of waiting in line at the airport is a good one. I call while I'm waiting in line and whichever can help me first wins.

One other thing, I always carry a toothbrush and toothpaste, brush, deoderant, hand cream, and face wash in a 3-1-1 bag in case I do have a significant delay so I can freshen up a bit, it makes all the difference in the world if you end up stuck in an airport for the day!