On Friday March 13, snow and ice caused hundreds of flights to be canceled at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Unfortunately, mine was one of them. Despite traveling frequently, this was actually my first cancellation. Here’s what I learned from this unfortunate experience:
Expect the Worst
When I saw it snow the morning of the flight, I didn’t think much of it. My flight wasn’t until 1:45PM, and I figured airports should be able to handle the snow. I was wrong. It turned out major snow is actually relatively rare at Seattle-Tacoma, so they don’t have enough snow-removing / de-icing resources. First, flights were getting delayed. Then, one by one they started to get canceled. I should’ve known that earlier delays and cancellations can cause cascading effects throughout the day. If you see flights getting delayed or canceled early, start researching backup options immediately so you’re not left scrambling if your flight does get canceled.
Explore Different Rebooking Options
When my flight got canceled, Delta sent me a text with a link to rebook. Unfortunately, the only same-day Delta option was terrible — a flight with a layover that wouldn’t arrive in SFO until past midnight. Luckily, this was a business trip and I called my company’s travel service to help rebook me on a different airline. In the US, airlines are required to refund you if your flight is canceled and you choose not to take their offered alternative. This means you can book a different airline yourself if you’re not satisfied with the default options. You can also consider nearby airports for more choices.
Sign Up for Standby
Two of my coworkers with canceled morning flights initially rebooked with another airline at 5:20PM. However, they talked to the airline agent and got added as standbys for an earlier flight. They were able to get the last seats and left at 2PM. Leaving on the original flight would’ve been terrible for them. I know because I also got rebooked on the same flight, but it kept on getting delayed and didn’t depart until 10PM! I did sign up as a standby for a 4PM flight, but it also got canceled, leaving me out of options.
Try Agents at Different Gates
When I was trying to talk to an airline agent, I noticed that some gates had much shorter lines than other gates. You don’t actually need to go to the gate of your cancelled flight to get help. Instead, look for any gate with agents from the same airline and the shortest line to save time. You can also try calling customer support while waiting in line in case you reach an agent faster over the phone.
Make the Most of the Wait
There’s only so much you can do when the weather is out of your control. Even though my rebooked flight was delayed multiple times and I ended up stuck at the airport for more than 10 hours, it didn’t actually feel that long because I spent most of the time talking with a coworker who was in the same situation. I even met a group of three strangers who had become friends that day because of the cancellations. If you do end up stuck, try to make the wait less painful: grab a seat in a lounge, explore the terminal, or strike up a conversation. Just because life gives you flight delays doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of it!
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