Flight Canceled? How to Get a Refund, Rebook, or Even Travel for Free

Summary

Episode Summary: "Flight Canceled? How to Get a Refund, Rebook, or Even Travel for Free"

Hosted by Sally French and Megan Coyle of NerdWallet Travel, this episode of "Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways" delves into effective strategies for handling flight cancellations and delays. Drawing from personal experiences and expert insights, the hosts equip listeners with practical advice to navigate travel disruptions smoothly.

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1. Travel News Highlights

a. Hyatt’s Acquisition of Playa Hotels and Resorts

• Hyatt Expands All-Inclusive Offerings: Hyatt recently announced its acquisition of Playa Hotels and Resorts, a luxury all-inclusive brand with properties in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Sally highlights, “there’s going to be a bunch of more options for all inclusives,” enhancing opportunities for earning and redeeming Hyatt points at these destinations (01:04).

b. Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card Offers

• Companion Pass Opportunity: Sally and Megan discuss limited-time offers on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and Priority Credit Cards. Sally explains, “It's a buy one, get one free offer on flights,” emphasizing the ease of obtaining the Companion Pass through spending requirements (02:59). Megan notes the importance of acting quickly before the offer ends on March 31, 2025 (02:30).

c. Virgin Red Rewards MasterCard Promotion

• Bonus Virgin Points: The Virgin Red Rewards MasterCard is offering 60,000 Virgin points for new applicants who spend $3,000 within the first 90 days, up from the usual 40,000 points (06:13). Megan shares her positive experience using Virgin Points for a premium flight and enjoying Virgin Atlantic lounges (06:31).

d. Impact of "White Lotus" on Travel Demand

• Increased Interest in Featured Destinations: The third season of "White Lotus," set in Thailand, has significantly boosted demand for the Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui. Sally warns, “prices are already really high,” citing a steep points requirement of 175,000 for a single night via the Amex travel portal (08:46).

e. Inflation and Travel Costs

• Rising Travel Prices: Recent data shows a 4% year-over-year increase in travel prices, with flight prices up by 7% (04:29). Sally provides context by comparing this to a decade-long trend where airfares have decreased by 6.3%, highlighting the current anomaly despite overall inflation being around 3% (05:36).

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2. Handling Flight Delays and Cancellations

a. Personal Anecdote: Sally’s Canceled Flights

• Experience with Multiple Cancellations: Sally recounts experiencing two different flight cancellations in Denver due to hydraulic and fuel issues, offering listeners a firsthand look at managing such disruptions (10:08). She reflects, “No one can completely outsmart a flight cancellation, not even us,” underscoring the inevitability of such events (31:26).

b. Understanding Flight Cancellation Statistics

• Frequency of Cancellations and Delays: Megan cites Bureau of Transportation Statistics, revealing about 1% of U.S. flights were canceled in the past year, while delays affected roughly 20% of flights (10:52).

c. Federal Regulations on Refunds

• Rights to Refunds: Megan clarifies that airlines must provide a full refund if a flight is canceled or significantly delayed (three hours for domestic, six for international), regardless of ticket type or reason (14:30).

d. Strategies for Managing Cancellations

• Rebooking vs. Refund: Sally advises assessing the airline’s rebooking options before opting for a refund to avoid expensive last-minute fares. She emphasizes, “Flights typically are ultra expensive when booked at the last minute” (17:42).
• Maximizing Airline Vouchers and Benefits: Using travel credit cards can provide additional support, such as hotel accommodations and meal vouchers. Sally shares how United offered her hotel options and meal vouchers during her delay (19:32).
• Navigating Customer Service Efficiently: Megan suggests using airline apps to explore rebooking options proactively, which can be faster than waiting in line at service desks (23:39).

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3. Tips for Booking Smarter to Avoid Delays

a. Avoid Layovers

• Direct Flights Reduce Risk: Whenever possible, booking direct flights minimizes the complexity and potential points of failure that come with layovers. Sally notes the challenges she faced due to unavoidable layovers in her itinerary (25:12).

b. Choose Hub Airports with Mild Weather

• Weather Considerations: Selecting layover airports with historically mild weather can decrease the likelihood of weather-related delays. Sally recommends hubs like San Diego over cities prone to severe weather (25:24).

c. Book Early Flights in the Day

• Morning Departures Are More Reliable: Early flights are less susceptible to cascading delays from previous flights. Megan explains that “flights departing early in the day are less likely to be delayed” (26:01).

d. Opt for Airlines with Multiple Flights from Connecting Airports

• Flexibility in Rebooking: Choosing airlines that offer multiple daily flights from connection points provides more rebooking options in case of delays, reducing the risk of extended disruptions (27:07).

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4. Travel Insurance: When and How to Use It

• Selective Use of Travel Insurance: Sally advises purchasing travel insurance for more complex or expensive trips, such as international cruises where delays could result in significant losses (28:15).
• Leveraging Credit Card Benefits: Many travel credit cards, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve, offer built-in travel insurance benefits like trip delay reimbursement and cancellation insurance. Sally details her coverage, highlighting how it complemented her experience during the flight cancellations (28:30).

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5. Maximizing Loyalty Programs for Travelers

a. Hot Take: Starbucks Rewards for Travelers

• Underrated Loyalty Perk: Megan praises the Starbucks Rewards program as an underrated tool for travelers, especially when linked with partners like Marriott and Delta Airlines. “If you rack up enough Starbucks stars, you might even get a free drink the next time you’re at the airport,” she shares (30:12).
• Strategic Linkages: Linking Starbucks accounts with airline and hotel loyalty programs can enhance reward accumulation, offering double benefits from everyday purchases (30:48).

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6. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

• Preparation Over Perfection: Sally encapsulates the episode’s essence, stating, “A well planned trip is less about avoiding bumps and more about being prepared to handle them” (31:39).
• Encouraging Listener Engagement: The hosts invite listeners to share questions and feedback via email, emphasizing the community-driven aspect of the podcast (31:55).

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Notable Quotes:

• Megan Coyle (02:07): “The Companion Pass is good through February 28, 2026.”
• Sally French (14:38): “And one hour is not, under federal rules, considered a significant delay.”
• Megan Coyle (25:02): “No one can predict the future, but there are some ways to reduce your odds of an issue.”
• Megan Coyle (30:00): “My hot take is that the Starbucks rewards program is an underrated loyalty program for travelers.”

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Takeaways:

• Stay Informed and Prepared: Understanding your rights and the airline’s policies can empower you during disruptions.
• Leverage Technology and Credit Benefits: Utilize airline apps and travel credit cards to streamline rebooking and access additional perks.
• Strategic Booking Practices: Opt for direct flights, early departures, and flexible airlines to minimize potential delays.

By incorporating these strategies, listeners can navigate flight cancellations and delays more effectively, turning potential travel mishaps into manageable setbacks.

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For more detailed insights and resources mentioned in this episode, visit the NerdWallet website and explore their comprehensive travel guides and tools.

Transcript

[Sally French]

Foreign.

[Megan Coyle]

Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools and tactics to maximize your travel dollars.

[Sally French]

I'm Sally French.

[Megan Coyle]

And I'm Megan Coyle.

[Sally French]

And we are the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip.

[Megan Coyle]

Today we're diving into what to do if your flight gets delayed or canceled so you can get to your destination faster and maybe even get compensated for the inconvenience, hopefully.

[Sally French]

And you know, Megan, this episode is fun because I actually lived this. Hopefully, so you listeners out there don't have to. But first, before we dive into our main segment, let's take a look at some of the news in travel this week. And just a heads up, in this episode, we're going to talk about a few credit card companies that are nerd wallet partners. But I just want to let you know this does not influence how we discuss them.

[Megan Coyle]

Everyone who likes staying at all inclusive resorts, there's some good news for you because Hyatt just announced a deal to acquire Playa Hotels and Resorts. This is a brand of luxury all inclusives with properties in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

[Sally French]

Now, some of you out there might already be Hyatt fans. You might already know of the Hyatt Ziva, the Hyatt Zilar resorts. You've actually already stayed at some of Playa's work if you've stayed at any of these two resorts. That's because Playa owns and operates these brands and they've actually already long been part of the world of Hyatt program.

[Megan Coyle]

And the world of Hyatt program is really great for all inclusives, particularly because they have an award chart and they have some really, really reasonable awards prices for stays at these all inclusives. So now there's going to be a bunch of more options for all inclusives in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

[Sally French]

You know, more options to earn and redeem points. That's something I know we're always looking for.

[Megan Coyle]

And as far as the timeline goes on this, the deal is expected to close later this year. So we'll let you know when we start seeing some of these new properties available to book with Hyatt points. Until then, check out some of our favorite all inclusives to book on points on the NerdWallet website. There's actually a ton of options.

[Sally French]

There's a new credit card offer that could get you a Southwest Airlines companion pass fairly easily.

[Megan Coyle]

Yes. And we do see this offer once a year and I'm so glad it's back.

[Sally French]

You know, Megan, actually last year I took Advantage of a very similar offer.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, tell people what it's about then.

[Sally French]

So there are two cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit card and then the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. Both have a limited time offer where you can earn 30,000 bonus points and Southwest Companion Pass after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from.

[Megan Coyle]

Account opening, the Companion Pass is good through February 28, 2026. And so this offer to get this Companion Pass with the signup bonus ends on March 31 this year. So you've got about six weeks to decide if this offer might be right for you. But the sooner the better. So you actually have more time to use the Companion Pass once you earn it. And of course, if you're listening to this episode, after March 31st, the sign up bonus points probably changed. So make sure to go to NerdWallet to see the current offer and benefits.

[Sally French]

Hopefully you're listening to this sooner rather than later so you can jump on this offer. As you said, the longer you have it, the more you can take advantage of it. And we have talked about the Companion Pass a lot already in this very short life of the show thus far. Just a quick debrief for those of you who don't know the Companion Pass. It's basically a buy one, get one free offer on flights. You designate someone as your companion and then they can join you on the flight that you're already on for only the cost of taxes and fees.

[Megan Coyle]

And the usual way to earn it is actually pretty difficult. You have to fly 100 qualifying one way flights or earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards qualifying points in a calendar year.

[Sally French]

Both super tough to hit purely by flying spending alone, but this should make it a lot easier.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, you just have to meet the terms of the credit card's intro offer, which I should note includes paying that annual fee.

[Sally French]

And the annual fee is something that you do need to budget for. On the Southwest Rapid Rewards plus card, it's $69, and on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority credit card, it's $149.

[Megan Coyle]

So the latter, the more expensive one, has more benefits. But we'll link to NerdWallet's roundup of Southwest cards in the show notes so the listeners can dig deeper if they want to find out which Southwest card is right for them.

[Sally French]

And speaking of cheap airfares, we got some really interesting inflation data last week.

[Megan Coyle]

That's right, the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks prices for all sorts of goods and services across the US and puts out new data every Month. And I know that, Sally, you've been tracking that, writing about it for years now.

[Sally French]

So this month was super interesting. Across all items, US inflation rose to 3% in January. That's up 0.5% since December. Travel prices are also up 4% year over year, based on Nerdwall, its own travel price index. That's just a calculation that we put together. We use BLS statistics to put kind of a single figure on how travel prices are changing.

[Megan Coyle]

And remember, the Federal Reserve, which manages the US money supply, usually targets a 2% rate of inflation. So the 4% increase in travel prices is a bit high, but that 2% is more of a long term goal. So, Sally, what did you see when you were looking at it over years and years?

[Sally French]

So it is important to note that it's kind of brutal. With travel prices being up 4%, especially when average prices are 3%, that means that travel is outpacing the average rate of inflation over the past year. But flight prices are actually up 7% year over year. And I know a lot of people say, oh my gosh, this is brutal. Yes, my vacation is more expensive this year. But when you compare airfares over the past 10 years, Megan, get this. Airfares are down 6.3% over the past 10 years.

[Megan Coyle]

So I'm actually like spending less on flights now.

[Sally French]

Yes, the inflation rate over the past 10 years across all items is up 35.9%. So to see airfares down is absolutely bonkers.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay. But inflation is still bad for the egg eaters among us. Looking at you, Sally, I know the.

[Sally French]

Egg shortage is all due to me. I'm sorry, I'm guilty.

[Megan Coyle]

I think there's another limited time offer that we need to talk about.

[Sally French]

That's exactly right. This is on the Virgin Red Rewards MasterCard. This credit card has a $99 annual fee.

[Megan Coyle]

If you're listening to this episode today, the day it's airing, then this is super timely because the offer just launched yesterday.

[Sally French]

I'll give you the deal. Customers who apply for the card between February 18th and March 31st, 2025, will earn 60,000 Virgin points. That's instead of the usual 40,000 point offer. You get this. If you spend $3,000 on the card in the first 90 days of account opening.

[Megan Coyle]

And you can use Virgin Points on a ton of different travel options, including flights on Virgin Atlantic or any of their other airline partners. Virgin Hotels, Virgin Cruises. They've also got like, tours and activities. I actually just used some Virgin Points to fly their upper class from London to la. It was so cool. My favorite part was the Virgin Atlantic lounge at airport. Yeah, it feels like you're hanging out in the Incredibles living room.

[Sally French]

That's a great way to say it. I love the incredible. I love that vibe. That's totally what Virgin is about. In fact, my neighbor was just telling me he went on a Virgin Voyages cruise in the Mediterranean. He was like, I'm not a cruise person, but this is the most lit cruise I've ever been on. So I've actually never done a Virgin Voyages cruise, but I think we should check it out.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay. Next trip together. See you in the Mediterranean on a Virgin cruise.

[Sally French]

We'll start saving up our points. I guess this bonus will help.

[Megan Coyle]

Last thing in the news. One of my guilty pleasures, as you know, is watching murder mystery television shows. So you know what I was doing on Sunday show White Lotus is back for season three. It's in Thailand this year. If you are watching the show also and thinking, wow, it would be really nice to stay at that hotel that the White Lotus is filmed at, let me tell you, millions of other people who watch the show might be thinking the same thing.

[Sally French]

Megan, I'm ashamed to say I've actually never seen this show, but I hear about it so much. There's so much hype around this show.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh my gosh. What you need to watch.

[Sally French]

I get so many travel pictures. Like I got one about a way made a White Lotus themed luggage. I've gotten a pitch for tour companies that organize White Lotus themed trips. So I think I'm missing out by not being on this White Lotus train.

[Megan Coyle]

Yes, hop on the bandwagon. The executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts told the New York Times that demand increased tenfold for the Maui and Sicily properties that were featured in White Lotus season one and two. And so he expects the same thing to happen with the Four Seasons resort. Koh Samui for season three.

[Sally French]

Let's go. Of course, I think people should realize when demand goes up, prices also go up. Even I'm like this where I think of Thailand as being a fairly affordable place to travel to. But Four Seasons, I was looking at prices and they're already really high. I'm talking like $2,000 a night. So can you book this thing on points? How do we get in?

[Megan Coyle]

Unfortunately, no. The Four Seasons doesn't have its own loyalty program. But I did see that White Lotus hotel on the Amex travel portal and it was 175,000 points for one random night in March Oof.

[Sally French]

I am not spending 175,000 points on that.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah. Moral of the story, if you've been wanting to visit this particular property or this destination within Thailand, demand is going to be higher than usual this year. I think if you want to go, you could wait until the crowds sort of die off, maybe next year. Or if you want to save on prices, especially if you want to check out some of these luxury hotels, you might just want to wait until the hype from the show is over.

[Sally French]

Yes, I'm scared. If it's 175 now, where is it going to go?

[Megan Coyle]

Coming up, we're talking about what you should do when your travels go awry.

[Sally French]

In fact, this happened to me on a recent flight and actually in my case, it ended up turning out all right in the end. I even got some compensation. Find out how I did it and more. That's coming up in a moment, so stay with us. So, Megan, this week's episode could not be more timely for me at least. And that's what to do if your flight is delayed or canceled.

[Megan Coyle]

It's one of the most read topics on Nerd Wallet, probably because when it happens to you, you need answers fast.

[Sally French]

And it did actually happen to me. I recently had not one, but two different canceled flights in a row, both for two different reasons.

[Megan Coyle]

Geez, that's terrible luck that it happened to you on the same trip. After all, cancellations are not actually that common, yet you hear about them all.

[Sally French]

The time, and I suspect that's because when they do, they can totally disrupt your day or even your whole trip sometimes.

[Megan Coyle]

I'm pulling up the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website right now to look up the rate of canceled U.S. flights. Okay, so we're looking at the year from October 23rd to October 2024. Okay. It says about 1% of flights were canceled. Now delays, on the other hand.

[Sally French]

Ooh, delays are so common. Now, I know it's annoying to be late, but this is interesting because delays, in my opinion, should just not be that big of a deal. If you absolutely must have a business meeting or appointment shortly upon landing, just make sure it's something you're okay to reschedule in the event of that delay.

[Megan Coyle]

I mean, sometimes you don't have a lot of choice, though, like if there aren't a lot of flights to your destination. So you're right. If it's something you absolutely need to get to at a certain time, give yourself plenty of time in case of delays.

[Sally French]

Yes, plenty of buffer time is critical. In fact, I was Once on a flight where I saw someone yell at a flight attendant because they had to get to a wedding that get this was starting at 3. The flight was scheduled to land at 2. So of course, the flight actually got delayed and ended up landing at 3. So I have no idea if they even made it to the wedding.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, that's just bad planning. One hour would not have been enough time anyway. Was this person already wearing their wedding outfit on the plane?

[Sally French]

Yeah. You know, I have no idea what their original plan was, but it seems to me like it wasn't going to work either way. Side note, don't yell at flight attendants. It's not their fault for the delay. And it's important people know delays are so common. So, Megan, I totally sidetracked you. What do the statistics you have in front of you say about delays?

[Megan Coyle]

Well, it's about 20% of flights in that period from October 2023 to October 2024. That's the latest they've got. So, yeah, it's not uncommon to deal with a delay or cancellation. And if it does happen to you, it can be a very special type of misery. Like a lot of it seems out of your hands, out of the gate agent's hands, out of the flight attendant's hands. But here are some things you can do to avoid the mess or at least make it a little more bearable.

[Sally French]

Yes. So since I live and breathe travel, I knew what to do immediately when my flight was canceled. Or shall I say flights, plural, were canceled. And today we're here to make sure everyone else knows what to do, too.

[Megan Coyle]

Exactly. We're here to share our knowledge. So take me back to this moment. Your first flight was canceled. Set the scene. Where were you and where did your mind go immediately?

[Sally French]

Okay, so I was on a flight. It was United. I was going through Denver for a layover. I was coming from Springfield, Missouri, where I was visiting my parents. The flight from Springfield, Missouri to Denver was all good. Then I boarded my second plane after layover. And here's where the trouble starts. I am sitting there on the tarmac for nearly an hour.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh, no, that's terrible. Being stuck on the tarmac is worse than being stuck in the terminal. Like you don't know when the next time you'll eat. And that gives me anxiety.

[Sally French]

And then I'm, like, sitting there and I have to go to the bathroom. I'm stressed. So, at least on the food note, I had two dinners at two different lounges in the Denver airport.

[Megan Coyle]

The classic second dinner at the lounge.

[Sally French]

Yes. So it's important listeners know I have access to both the Centurion lounge and the Cafe Capital One Lounge through two different credit cards. Side note, you can find out which cards can get you into those lounges on NerdWallet's website. The flight had us sitting on the tarmac for so long, finally the pilots made us get back off the plane. They told us there was a hydraulic issue and you know, I like my brakes working. So. All good. United told us they would get us a new airplane, though actually, at that point in time, it was pretty late. They had offered us a chance to either rebook or at that point get a refund.

[Megan Coyle]

I think people don't realize that if your flight gets canceled or significantly delayed and you don't choose to accept the alternative, like them rebooking you on another flight, airlines are actually required to provide a full refund to your original payment method. So, like cold hard cash. It's a federal rule.

[Sally French]

And just to be clear, this was really just an hour delay at this point. And one hour is not, under federal rules, considered a significant delay.

[Megan Coyle]

Right. So that person you mentioned earlier, who probably missed that wedding because of a one hour delay is definitely not going to get that compensation.

[Sally French]

No, that is, that is not officially a delay anyway.

[Megan Coyle]

So the federal government defines a significant delay as one where the departure or arrival time is three hours or more than originally scheduled for domestic flights, it's six hours for international flights.

[Sally French]

And that is even if you have a non refundable ticket. That's also no matter the reason for the cancellation, which even includes something like, like severe weather.

[Megan Coyle]

So if you're traveling and your flight gets canceled, one option is to maybe take the cash refund and find a different way there. Maybe on another airline or even booking a rental car and driving there. If it's a reasonable driving distance.

[Sally French]

Yes. But that's not always the right move. First before you get that cash refund, see what the airline's rebooking options look like. So in my case, I thought about calling my cousin who actually lives in Denver. I thought about seeing if I could crash with them at the last minute since it was getting late. But of course, right when I get on the phone, I'm talking to my cousin, telling them what's up. I see a new plane roll up to the gate. So in my head I was like, you know what? I just want to get home. I love public transit, but I'll just take an Uber or Lyft home. I've already spent enough time with my family. This week. So since the plane was physically here, I was like, great, we have another one. I will get on it.

[Megan Coyle]

And at this point, what time is it in Denver?

[Sally French]

I want to say it was like 11pm at this point, but with the time changes back in sf, I was like, it's not that bad. I can at least get, you know, my 2am Uber slash Lyft. So we all boarded that new plane. Here's where the chaos ensues times two. We're sitting there for a while and then. You will not believe this. They made us get off the new plane because now there was an issue with the fuel.

[Megan Coyle]

No, I know, I know.

[Sally French]

So at this point, they're like, yep, flights are definitely not happening. Go home, come back tomorrow.

[Megan Coyle]

I remember you saying this over slack when this was happening in real time. And I actually had no idea. That was the whole backstory. I can't believe they made you board the plane and get off twice.

[Sally French]

I know. That's the worst first part. It's not even the fact that two planes were canceled. It's that boarding and deep planing happened twice. Well, I guess technically three times when you consider by my flight that I finally get on. So having to do that three times is just absolutely bonkers.

[Megan Coyle]

Wow. So at this point, at the wee hours of the morning, so I'm guessing they either offered a full refund again or to rebook you.

[Sally French]

Right. So at that point, I had the option to either take a refund or get automatically rebooked on another flight. And here's really where I want to circle. Circle back to the actual advice. So, spoiler, I chose to get rebooked. A lot of people, though, didn't take that option. They said, I've had it with United. I already, you know, had two canceled flights. Who's to say there's not going to be a third? I'm just going to book with another airline. And yes, I am sympathetic to that. But here's where it's important to not let those emotions get the best for you. And that's because flights typically are ultra expensive when booked at the last minute.

[Megan Coyle]

Yeah, that's the great myth of last minute airfare deals. They rarely exist. People booking last minute flights typically do so because they're desperate to get somewhere. Like they have no other way of getting there. So airlines know they can charge a lot.

[Sally French]

Exactly. So the flight that I had booked up front was basically a $300 flight from Denver to SFO. That's because I booked it three months out. But if you Book it that day, you're looking at $1,000 flight. So United will refund the money that you paid up front. $300 in this case. But they won't give you $1,000 for a flight on another airline.

[Megan Coyle]

Some people think the airline will refund you for the full price of alternative flights. And if you got a super nice airline representative, maybe. But it hasn't happened to me.

[Sally French]

No, this has not happened to me either. So United did allow me to rebook on any flight between Denver and even nearby airports like Colorado Springs back to San Francisco, as well as San Francisco's nearby airports like San Jose. Had I tried to just book a United flight, normally that day it would have been $801,000. But going through United didn't actually cost any more than what I had originally paid for the airfare. I ended up booking a flight the next day.

[Megan Coyle]

Now, you did get pretty lucky in your situation because United runs so many flights between that route. But not everyone is so lucky. So what do you do if the next available flight isn't for a few days?

[Sally French]

Right? Sometimes that happens, especially with these smaller budget airlines. If you're desperate to get to your destination, you might have to bite the bullet and just book with an airline that gets you there sooner. So in that case, it does make sense to take the refund from your initial airfare, then pay on your own dime to fly with another airline.

[Megan Coyle]

So what did you end up doing about food and your overnight hotel stay? Did you end up staying with your cousin?

[Sally French]

Yeah. This is where it gets really interesting. So United was pretty good about. They sent me a text message pretty much as soon as that second flight was canceled saying they would pay for my hotel. And in that text message, they sent me a link to a website that had three different airport hotels I could choose from. And then there was like, basically a coupon code unique to me that I could use to book that hotel.

[Megan Coyle]

Wow, that actually seems pretty easy.

[Sally French]

Yeah, you know, it was. My cousin's house is like an hour drive, so I just stuck with the Silo Hotel from Ramada by Wyndham, which is not necessarily a hotel I would recommend, but it had a free heater, it had free coffee, so that's pretty much all I wanted.

[Megan Coyle]

At 3am did you get any food?

[Sally French]

Well, Megan, I'm glad you asked because through the course of this whole journey, United just kept sending me more and more $15 food vouchers. Also seems textile to my phone.

[Megan Coyle]

But you couldn't use them, right? Wasn't everything at the airport already closed.

[Sally French]

Yeah. And then also we mentioned the two lounge dinners, so I was pretty stuffed. Anyway, and then also the Capital One lounge gives you to go bags. So I had actually swooped a couple sandwiches and this big bag of chocolate covered raisins.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh, perfect. You are a master at free stuff. But I was still concerned about what kind of food you were going to be eating on this delay.

[Sally French]

Right. So at this point, I have three vouchers that only work at airport concession stands, and I didn't really want to use them after my double dinner. So I was like, maybe I'll just buy some See's candies, give them as a gift to someone back at home. But then I was like, huh, what if I buy Starbucks gift cards with this? And it actually turned out that worked. So next time I need some of those egg white red pepper bites, I will thank my United flight cancellation.

[Megan Coyle]

I had no idea you could do that. That's amazing. But we should remind people that's not necessarily the norm. While some airlines have made those kinds of commitments to like give you a food voucher if you get delayed, not every single airline has. So there's actually a nice little table on NerdWallet that shows all the major US airlines and what they pledge in the event of delays, like what kind of compensation or voucher. So the big airlines like United, American, Delta, JetBlue, Alaska offer the most like the meal vouchers and hotel accommodations for an overnight delay similar to what you got, Sally, the budget airlines like Frontier and Spirit are less generous. Frontier won't even put you up in a hotel overnight.

[Sally French]

Yeah, you know, let's actually put a link to that dashboard in the show notes. I find it super helpful.

[Megan Coyle]

Well, here, let's just pull it up right now since I'm already on my computer. Okay. I'm browsing this dashboard right now. And Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue and Southwest are actually the only ones who have formally pledged to rebook you and give you a credit or travel voucher for cancellations that result in three hours or more of waiting. So that's like, you know, they'll put you on the next flight and give you money for a future flight.

[Sally French]

You know, it's funny because even though you didn't mention United in this list, they actually automatically sent me a 100 doll voucher anyway.

[Megan Coyle]

Oh, so good. I guess the takeaway here is that despite what they've publicly pledged, it is worth it to ask and see if they might give you more. Sometimes they might do it without asking, but Everyone should ask, just in case.

[Sally French]

Yes, definitely ask. One more note, I will say, before people get too excited about all these, you know, free Starbucks egg bites, is this table only applies to cancellation under the airline's control. So that's something like not having functional brakes or incorrect fuel amounts, which were the two that happened to me.

[Megan Coyle]

So for reasons outside the airline's control, like weather delays or cancellations, these commitments don't necessarily apply? Unfortunately, yes.

[Sally French]

And especially with weather delays, that's where it can feel especially brutal. Generally, it's brutal because everyone in the airport is typically delayed. When it's something like weather, that just means multiple flights worth of grumpy people all standing at the customer service desk. It's not just you and the people on your individual flights.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, so I actually have a tip related to this. I got delayed on a flight last year at Indianapolis when I was flying American. And it was just a short hop to Chicago and then a connecting flight to LA for me. And as soon as they announced the delay, that line began to form at.

[Sally French]

The gate agent's desk.

[Megan Coyle]

I knew I was going to miss my connecting flight, so I got in line, and while I was there, I just went on the airline's app.

[Sally French]

Okay, good.

[Megan Coyle]

And it's like, here are your other flight options since your flight is delayed. And right there in the app, I booked a different route.

[Sally French]

Nice.

[Megan Coyle]

It was much longer and involved two layovers, one in Chicago and one in San Francisco. But I was going to make it back to my bed that night.

[Sally French]

Oh, wait, I didn't know that was in San Francisco. You should have crashed with me.

[Megan Coyle]

Trust me, I would have called you so fast if I got stuck again. But I was so determined to make it back. So by the time I waited in line, got up to the gate agent, I let her know, like. Like, hey, I already booked this other flight in the app. But I'm just curious, like, are there any other options that maybe don't involve two layovers? Like, I don't know what she has access to. Right. And she was like, oh, my gosh, that route didn't even come up for me. And she pointed to, like, these two guys who were also trying to get back to LA on my same delayed flight. And she said that she had to book them a different set of flights that wouldn't get them back until the next day.

[Sally French]

Ooh, way to beat them. Do it, Megan. Time is of the essence here. I think the tip is if you see a rebooking option on the app, take it. It might be Gone. If you wait for a customer service agent to help you.

[Megan Coyle]

Yes. Okay, so these are some ways that you might have to navigate the rebooking options in the case of a delay or cancellation. But what about traveling smarter, like, in a way that might help you avoid this situation altogether?

[Sally French]

Ooh, we can help with that, too.

[Megan Coyle]

Let's dive into how to book flights less likely to be delayed or canceled. Because no one can predict the future, but there are some ways to reduce your odds of an issue.

[Sally French]

Yes, I love this part of the episode. For one, I would say avoid layovers. So in my situation, I could not take my own advice simply because there are no direct flights from Springfield, Missouri to San Francisco.

[Megan Coyle]

Really?

[Sally French]

There should be, because Springfield is such an awesome city. Did you know they have the Bass Pro Shops headquarters?

[Megan Coyle]

Is that the Pyramid one?

[Sally French]

No, that one's in Memphis, which I have not been to. The one in Springfield is actually wild. There's like an alligator inside this store. It's like nature Disneyland. There are multiple restaurants. There's a whole aquarium attached to it. There's a fudge store. They even call it the granddaddy of all outdoor stores. Wow.

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, I need to go. But it will also probably take me a layover to get there. So back to our tips. What are the options if I can't avoid a layover?

[Sally French]

Yes, if you do need to go with a layover, try to choose one at a hub airport with mild weather. A layover at an airport with mild weather, such as as San Diego, is likely better than one in a snowy city such as Salt Lake City. That all just comes down to better chances of not getting your flight delayed or canceled due to weather.

[Megan Coyle]

Of course, we say this, and then suddenly something's going to happen in San Diego. I know.

[Sally French]

Okay. Knock on wood. Knock on wood.

[Megan Coyle]

Another good tip to avoid delays and cancellations is to book earlier flights in the day. Flights departing early in the day are less likely to be delayed because that aircraft is usually, like, already at the airport. You're not waiting for an incoming flight to be able to start boarding your next one. So Those first, like, 6:00am Flights, those are a really good bet.

[Sally French]

Yes.

[Megan Coyle]

By the time the afternoon rolls around, weather and air traffic dominoes start to fall. So that's where it gets really complicated. In fact, more than 7% of flights last year were delayed simply because the inbound aircraft arrived late. And again, I just left my Bureau of Transportation Statistics tab up, so that's what it says.

[Sally French]

So basically, remove that risk by booking an earlier flight. So you're less vulnerable to those cascading delays.

[Megan Coyle]

Totally. Another piece of advice I want to mention is to book an airline that has multiple flights out of that connecting airport. It's not always possible, but when I was flying to Europe last year, I was deciding between connecting in Germany or Iceland to go to Rome. And the German airline had flights basically every two to three hours to Rome from the connecting airport. And the Icelandic airline, I think only had like one or two flights per day to Rome. So it was like if you miss your connection, you will be stuck for another day.

[Sally French]

Okay, but maybe glass half full. Being stuck in Iceland doesn't sound like the worst thing. A little bit of a different city.

[Megan Coyle]

Anyway, moving on. Should we talk about travel insurance?

[Sally French]

Okay, let's do it. So my general take is that you definitely do not need to pay for travel insurance on every trip. I might do it for a more costly trip with lots of moving parts. I'm thinking about something like flying to a city to catch a cruise where I can't afford the flight being late because I will literally miss the cruise. But there's also this way that you can have your trip insured without actually buying a separate trip insurance policy.

[Megan Coyle]

That's right. Many travel credit cards offer travel insurance as a benefit when you pay for the trip with your card. But you have to check your card's insurance policy to ensure it covers canceled or delay flights. Many, but not all do, so you have to read into it.

[Sally French]

That's right, Megan. I usually charge my travel purchases to the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It's trip delay reimbursement benefit. Covers unreimbursed expenses such as meals and lodging up to $500 per ticket for delays exceeding 12 hours. It also comes with trip cancellation insurance, which reimburses you for up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for prepaid non refundable travel expenses. That's if trips are canceled or cut short for a covered reason. Again, all this kicks in after whatever the airline covers. So I did not have to use this in the case of my United Adventure in Denver. But peace of mind, all great tips.

[Megan Coyle]

I'm sorry you had two canceled flights, but it kind of sounded like a fun adventure in that way too. Not Iceland, but it's something.

[Sally French]

Yes. I'm so glad we talked about this. And of course I ended up hitting the lounges two days in a row. I used the free day to end up hanging out with my cousin anyway, so in a sense, I kind of got this free trip to Denver out of it. So in my case, it was actually kind of awesome.

[Megan Coyle]

And you have $45 worth of Starbucks gift cards now, which is like. That's right, you know, two Starbucks stars for every dollar you spend at Starbucks. So you're like halfway to a free drink in that rewards program.

[Sally French]

Oh, yay, Go me. And that does remind me I need to spend my gift cards not just to claim my drink, but apparently to get those stars.

[Megan Coyle]

Can you tell that I love a loyalty program? Okay, this is my hot take for the week. This is like the part of the show that we do every episode where we share a little spicy opinion at the end.

[Sally French]

So your spicy opinion is that you love loyalty programs?

[Megan Coyle]

No, no, no. I mean, I do, but my hot take is that the Starbucks Starbucks rewards program is an underrated loyalty program for travelers.

[Sally French]

I didn't even know you drank Starbucks.

[Megan Coyle]

I literally only have it when I'm traveling. And I also don't drink coffee, so I always just order a chai latte. It's like an airport pastime because it feels so good to get a hot drink at the airport before a 6am flight.

[Sally French]

Okay. You know, Megan, I knew we were the same person because I also rarely go to Starbucks. But my one Starbucks tradition is going to the Starbucks at John Wayne Airport. That's my hometown airport. And getting egg white bites before every flight.

[Megan Coyle]

See? You get it. Yeah.

[Sally French]

Okay, so besides the fact that you use it while traveling, tell me, what else do you like about Starbucks rewards for travelers?

[Megan Coyle]

Okay, well, Starbucks partners with Marriott and Delta Airlines, so you can earn points or miles with either of those programs. If you link your accounts, we'll put some instructions in the show notes. It's pretty simple. And you won't get a ton of points or miles through your Starbucks purchases. Like, it won't get you a free flight or free hotel stay, but it is a great way to double dip on earning rewards with your spending. And, you know, if you rack up enough Starbucks stars, you might even get a free drink the next time you're at the airport way too early.

[Sally French]

Okay, so again, it's not like the most valuable rewards, but it is warm and it feels good when you finally get something free.

[Megan Coyle]

All right, let's wrap this thing up.

[Sally French]

The tldr here. No one can completely outsmart a flight cancellation, not even us. These flights. Flights play by their own rules, but with these strategies, you can give yourself a better chance of getting to your destination on time.

[Megan Coyle]

As I say, a well planned trip is less about avoiding bumps and more about being prepared to handle them. So listeners, do you have any questions, send them to us. Email [e-mail] or you know, for extra credit email us a voice memo. You might even hear your voice on.

[Sally French]

The show and tell us what you think by leaving a review or sending us an email with feedback for the show.

[Megan Coyle]

If you're not already doing it, you can follow the show on your favorite podcast app, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeartRadio to automatically download new episodes.

[Sally French]

This episode was produced by Hilary Georgi and Tess Vigland. Claire Socie helped with fact checking and a big thank you to NerdWallet's editors for all their help.

[Megan Coyle]

And here's our brief disclaimer. We are not financial or investment advisors. This info is provided for general educational and entertainment purposes and may not apply to your specific circumstances.

[Sally French]

Thanks for listening. We we hope you're inspired to keep your passport full and your wallet even fuller. See you next episode.