What if things don’t go as planned? What if you can’t depart or get home when you are scheduled to? I experienced this again first hand on Sunday. We were fogged out of the port and unable to return to Galveston at our scheduled time. This not only impacted those of us on our ship, but passengers on another ship waiting to get in to Galveston, and all of the passengers waiting to board each of these ships to start their cruises.
What if things don’t go as planned? What do you do?
First and foremost, you must immediately bring every ounce of your patience to the forefr
ont of your personality. Being patient, calm, and rational will get you more results than a poor reaction. I was stunned at the number of passengers yelling at employees that they were g
oing to be late for church, dinner, missing their flights, etc…. Weather for example is no fault of the crew, and honestly… they were no happier than we were to be “stuck”. Yes, it is frustrating, but there are ways to survive the “what if’s “of travel.
What if you know you are going to miss a flight for reasons beyond your control? If you are on a cruise, the first thing to do is contact your travel agent and / or your travel insurance carrier to advise them of the situation and ask how to best proceed.
If you purchased travel insurance, you will have a 24 hour emergency number to contact and that should be your first call. It is important to alert the insurance company to a potential claim so the integrity of the policy is protected and you receive any benefits (reimbursements for additional costs) possible.
If it is not possible to reach the insurance company right away, keep very good track of your receipts and conversations for later documentation when filing your claim. For example, on weather disaster days hold times can be very long and frustrating.
I had one client hold multiple times for over 30 minutes; I asked her to keep track so in the days following, when she finally could speak with them they will know that she tried in good faith to immediately notify them.
If you are traveling on a packaged vacation (such as an all-inclusive or escorted tour vacation), the first thing to do is contact the 24 hour emergency number that you were provided in your travel documents.
What if the flights are cancelled and you are already at the airport?
Regardless of type of vacation, work directly with the airline so they can re-accommodate you on the next available flight. Many airlines have an automated system that automatically will accommodate you on the next available flight. This is a good reason to download that airline app and sign up for their mobile alerts! (This came in very handy for me when my flight was cancelled out of Los Angeles 3 weeks ago – I knew my new flight info before I ever got to the front of the line at the gate!) Once the airline has re-accommodated you, you can notify your travel agent / travel insurance of your new flights and go from there.
There will always be a “What if” when it comes to travel, and many other life situations. Having a little knowledge up front can help you navigate the situation with less stress. When you are planning your travel, don’t be afraid to ask the “What if” questions! A little bit of knowledge and preparation can go a long way!