No one likes to wait for hours at the airport. Some of the most common problems, for example rough weather and the resulting air traffic delays, are outside the airlines’ control. Nonetheless, you can take steps to reduce your odds of coming up against most issues and limit their effects.
When booking your flight, remember a flight that leaves early in the day is less sure to be delayed than a later flight. Also, if an early flight does get delayed or canceled, you can have more rerouting options. If you book the last flight of the day and it is canceled, you might get stuck overnite.
Generally, you are most unlikely to be delayed on non stop flights. If you select a flight with an overnite stop or connection, try and select one stopping at the least-congested enroute airfield to lower the risk of delay or misconnection. For example, airfields in the south of the USA could have less winter snowstorms but more spring and summer thunderstorms.
When booking a connection, always check the quantity of time between flights. Ask yourself what will occur if the 1st flight is delayed, if you do not like the answer, pick another flight or ask the agent to make a connection that permits more time.
Certain airfields are way more congested than others are (due to the popularity of cheap airfares. Also, flights during top travel times of the day ( e.g, 4:00-6:00 p.m. ) are far more at the mercy of delay. Examine flights to all airfields that serve your destination town Ask about the on-time performance of each flight you are considering.
Call the airline well before your exit time to check on your flight’s standing. If there’s a problem, try and rebook over the phone. While airlines regularly attempt to call to tell you of schedule changes, it might not be possible to do so if the airline becomes aware about the delay only just before the flight. Also, ensure your airline’s record of your reservation contains a phone number where you may be reached, or you will lose any opportunity of being called about a delay or flight change. If your flight is delayed, try to discover how late it is going to be so you can appraise your options. But bear in mind that it is often tough for airlines to guess the total duration of a delay during its early stages.
