Everything to Know About Flight Delays and How to Deal With Them?

Have you ever been concerned about dealing with flight delays? Well, this is one of the most common issues for most travelers in the world of air travel. It is not like airlines intentionally cause flight delays; it is just something that is not under control. However, there are many factors that influence flight delays, and this guide will help you learn about these, along with some tips for handling flight delays. 

What Should You Remember About Flight Delays?

Before booking your flight, keep in mind that it can be delayed. Therefore, it becomes important for you to learn about how flight delays happen and what to do to handle them. Normally, a flight delay is unexpected and can happen due to a number of factors, both controllable and uncontrollable.

What are the common causes?

• Weather can change at any time, and airlines cannot control that. Airlines make delays for the safety of aircraft and passengers. 

• Air Traffic Control: With hundreds of airlines and thousands of aircraft flying in the sky nowadays, congestion in the airspace can be seen. The air Traffic Control room causes delays or reroutes flights to handle issues. 
• Aircraft maintenance: Airplanes must be maintained frequently, and if any malfunction or operational issue is found, delays can happen, or, in the worst case, flights may be canceled.
• The Domino Effect: A delayed flight can sometimes delay your or other upcoming flights. 
• Airport Operational Issues: Some airport operations are done before any flight departure. These include baggage handling, security, runway closure, etc. If any of these issues happen, there is a high chance that the airline will delay your flight. 

What Can You Do?

Considering flight delay causes, you are eligible for compensation if any causes align with the guidelines.

• EU Regulations: As per EU Regulations 261, apart from extraordinary circumstances, you can claim compensation from the airline for cancellations and flight delays of 3 hours or more that are flying to European airports.
• US Regulations: Similar to EU Regulations, US-based airlines may not offer compensation for delays, but some airlines do. Instead of compensating with case refunds, they may offer freebies or perks such as meals or accommodations. 
• Airlines policies: Several airlines have policies regarding flight delays that may or may not offer compensation, so it is strongly advisable to read the flight terms and policies guidelines before making a reservation. 

How to Deal With Flight Delays?

One can easily handle flight delays if one knows the following tips.

• Check the flight status using official websites, mobile applications, or large screens at the airport.
• Keep essentials with you because delays can be longer. Include necessary things such as medications, chargers, snacks, and others.
• During flight delays, contact the airline to find the reason and plan accordingly. If needed, ask for a flight change or rebooking, and if reaching is urgent, ask for an alternate flight with a different airline at the airport's customer service desk. 
• It is quite an underrated option, but including travel insurance on a flight can be useful in the event of unfortunate flight delays or cancellations.

Various Blogs on Changing Your Flights.

How can I change my flight without paying a fee

How Late Can You Change a Flight?

What Rights Do I Have if Airline Changes My Flight?