{"id":3717,"date":"2022-12-31T12:20:08","date_gmt":"2022-12-31T18:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/missouri\/resources\/before-you-book-that-next-airline-flight-here-are-some-pointers\/"},"modified":"2023-06-09T07:48:40","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T12:48:40","slug":"before-you-book-that-next-airline-flight-here-are-some-pointers","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/missouri\/resources\/before-you-book-that-next-airline-flight-here-are-some-pointers\/","title":{"rendered":"Before you book that next airline flight, here are some pointers"},"featured_media":45651,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":false,"_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":""},"campaign_tax":[187],"display_option":[],"issue_tax":[],"resource_type":[90],"region_tax":[],"state":[2],"topic_tax":[154],"class_list":["post-3717","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"details":{"helper_taxonomies":{"topics":[154],"collection":false,"press_type":false,"person_type":false,"resource_type":90,"event_type":false,"campaigns":187,"department":false,"level":false,"states":[2],"act_option":false,"display_option":false,"primary":{"topic":154}},"subtitle":"Planning ahead can save you time, money, stress","excerpt":"","featured_image":45651,"caption_override":"","updated_on":null,"sidebar_action":"","related_event":"","hide_hero_image":false,"location":"internal","external_link":{"publication_name":"","url":""},"file":null,"sidebar_action_query_string":""},"helper_people_group":{"title":"Authors","entities":[{"type":"dynamic","dynamic_person":{"site":16,"people":"128"},"information":{"name":"","image":null,"role":"","biography":"","contact":{"twitter":"","facebook":"","email":"","phone":""}}}]},"helper_downloads":{"title":"Downloads","files":null},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"Airline travel has been unreliable for years as the airlines struggled with post-pandemic staffing and logistics. Almost every airline has had at least one disastrous weekend with mass cancelations during the last couple of years. We could be past the worst, but it's still best to plan for possible problems. Here are some suggestions to help save you grief on your next trip.\r\n

Hedge your ticket purchase<\/h4>\r\nMany airlines will hold tickets for 24 hours without payment, or will let you cancel your reservation and get a refund within that time frame, so you can make sure you get the best deal.\r\n

Check the flight\u2019s record<\/h4>\r\nMajor airlines are required by law to provide on-time performance information on their websites when you consider what flight to buy. Check these out to help avoid long delays. In addition, the Bureau of of Transportation Statistics provides lists every month of\u00a0\u201cchronically delayed\u201d flights<\/a>.\r\n\r\nFor example, in January 2023, 105 flights in the United States were categorized as \u201cchronically delayed,\u201d which means more than 50% of flights arrived 30 minutes or more late, or not at all.\r\n\r\nNo. 1 on the list: Frontier\u2019s flight No. 1043 from Orlando (MCO) to Houston (IAH), that is scheduled for departure at 2:06 p.m. Of the 17 flights in January, 88% arrived a half-hour or more late. The average: Nearly an hour and a half late.\r\n\r\nAlso notable: American Airline\u2019s flight No. 1117, from Charlotte (CLT) to Los Angeles (LAX,) which leaves at 4:45 p.m. ET. Of the 10 scheduled flights, six arrived more than 30 minutes late. The average delay: Nearly five hours.\r\n
\r\n

Give yourself a buffer<\/h4>\r\nIf possible, plan to fly out a day before you actually need to be somewhere, particularly if you\u2019re attending something like a wedding or going on a cruise.\r\n

Pay with a credit card, not a debit card<\/h4>\r\nIf you buy your plane ticket with a credit card, you have far greater protection to dispute the charge under the federal\u00a0Fair Credit Billing Act<\/a>. And debit cards are just a bad idea<\/a> for most purchases anyway.\r\n

Fly in the morning<\/h4>\r\nSchedule your flight as early in the day as possible. The DOT says you\u2019re more likely to get where you\u2019re going.\r\nThe later in the day you fly, the more chances there are for the airline to get off schedule. And if you have a late-night flight that\u2019s cancelled, there may not be another one until the next morning.\r\n

Avoid connecting flights<\/h4>\r\nThis isn\u2019t always possible, of course. But two flights mean two chances for a problem. And a delay on the first leg could mean you miss the second leg. The extra cost of a non-stop may save you a lot of stress and expense.\r\n

Avoid checking a bag<\/h4>\r\nThis also isn\u2019t always possible. But having a carry-on reduces the chances of you getting separated from your bag.\r\n

Put a tracker in your bag<\/h4>\r\nToday\u2019s technology allows you to buy a small GPS tracker that you can put anywhere \u2014 in a suitcase, a carry-on in case it gets checked at the gate, or, when you\u2019re at home, a set of keys or wallet. These generally connect to your smart phone to allow you to find your item anytime, anywhere.\r\n

Take a photo and document your property<\/h4>\r\nIf you are checking a bag, take a photo of your belongings in the suitcase in case you need to file a claim against the airline. You\u2019re entitled to reimbursement up to $3,800 if your bag is lost. If you have expensive items, take photos of them and write down the model numbers, serial numbers, etc.\r\nAlso, while checked wheelchairs and scooters are considered baggage, they\u2019re not subject to the $3,800 liability limit,\u00a0DOT says<\/a>. Other \u201cassistive devices\u201d not subject to the $3,800 limit include walkers, CPAP machines, hearing aids and prescription medications.<\/span>\r\n

Consider travel insurance<\/h4>\r\nIt won\u2019t keep your flight from being canceled but should help with other expenses. (But read the terms and conditions on the limits.)\r\n

Download the app<\/h4>\r\nGet the airline\u2019s app on your phone a couple of days before your flight. It can help you with notifications, rebooking and contacting customer service. Then you can delete it if you\u2019d like when you return from your trip.\r\n\r\n<\/div>","":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_featured_resource","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_featured_resource":{"resource":[3449]}}],"site_specific_content":""},"yoast_head":"\nBefore you book that next airline flight, here are some pointers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/missouri\/resources\/before-you-book-that-next-airline-flight-here-are-some-pointers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Before you book that next airline flight, here are some pointers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.pirg-test.com\/missouri\/resources\/before-you-book-that-next-airline-flight-here-are-some-pointers\/\" \/>\n<meta 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