Airlines are cutting flights like there’s no tomorrow. But are they bothering to tell anyone?
Increasingly, the answer may be “no.”
I’m a travel agent, and within the last week, three clients who had booked directly with the airline or online have called our agency after they were surprised by flight cancellations. Maybe the airline or online agency sent a message, maybe not. In the age of super-spam, many people don’t get to all of their legitimate emails.
I’ve also noticed that more fights are being canceled on the day of departure without even a computer message to the booking agent. We used to get those dispatches regularly.
It makes sense. The airlines have not only cut flights, and plan to cut more, but they have also cut staffing levels in reservations and at the airports. In other words, you may — or may not — get a call alerting you that there is a problem if your plane is delayed or canceled.
So here’s a tip from a travel professional: Before you head for the airport, contact your airline to make sure the flight is operating. Also, check to see if your connecting flight is on time.
You can either call your airline, go online to its Web site or use a service like Flightstats to see if your flight is still a “go.”
If there’s a problem, phone the airline or your travel agent immediately. Why? Because you’ll be talking to a real person who might be able to help you. Even if you have booked or checked in online you have the opportunity to call a human. Which will put you ahead of all those hundreds of people in the customer service line at the airport.
It also means you won’t have to discover first hand how those much-hyped automated check-in stations are not exactly creative problem solvers.
