Samantha Brown's Best Tip For Getting A Canceled Flight Re-Booked As Fast As Possible
Few travel nightmares are worse than arriving at the airport only to find out you can't board your flight. Sometimes, it's just a matter of delay, but then there are the real doozies: getting bumped or, worst of all, a full-on cancellation. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) touts that 2023 only saw a less than 1.2% cancelation rate, the lowest in 10 years. This is great news unless, of course, you're part of that unlucky 1.2%. Even travel guru Samantha Brown, who goes on countless flights yearly, isn't immune to these cancelations. But unlike newbies or first-time fliers who make the rookie mistake of badgering the airline's customer service for flight rebookings, Brown has learned to hack the system — with a tweet.
Many airlines have contracts of carriage that require them to put you on another flight in the event of a cancelation, but you can't expect them to do it in a snap. While other passengers waste energy on endless customer service calls and queues for rebookings, Brown suggests bypassing all that by reaching out to the airline through social media. "I can't stress enough how important it is when you travel to have either Instagram, Threads, or X (formerly Twitter) for updates and alerts as well as getting answers to your direct questions," Brown advised on her blog. "Airlines have pulled a lot of their customer service from their phone banks to social media but not everyone is on social media, and so you could receive a much faster response than if you call."
Leverage the power of social media
Trust Samantha Brown to have tricks up her sleeve for every conceivable travel-related hiccup and concern, from protecting yourself from pickpocketers to colors to avoid wearing as a solo traveler. And what is her advice for the disgruntled passenger who is unfortunate enough to have their flight canceled while they're already at the airport? Tweeting your way to rebooking. While Brown herself doesn't shy away from the traditional approaches — as in patiently waiting in line at the airline desk or dialing up the hotline — she recommends unleashing your multitasking skills.
In an interview with MarketWatch (via Brooks PR), she revealed that this trick has "always" done its magic for her. She's even developed a mini spiel for what to say in such situations. "I use Twitter to get in touch with (the airline's) customer service if my flight is canceled. That's the very first thing that I do. You can direct mail every single airline on their Twitter feed. Send them your confirmation code, saying 'My flight's been canceled. Can I get on the next flight?' and they are able to book you," she explained. "I do that as I'm getting in (the customer-service) line if I'm at the airport. While you're in that line, you're tweeting."
The trick to dodging flight cancelations
Unfortunately, there's no foolproof method for avoiding flight cancellations entirely, but Samantha Brown suggests a savvy trick to minimize your chances of facing them: book a morning flight. The early bird doesn't just catch the worm; it also tends to catch its intended flight. "If you must fly, book the first flight out," she told HuffPost. "It's miserable waking up at 4 a.m. to get to the airport, but that first flight is the one that is most likely to leave on time. Any other disruptions, weather, mechanical difficulties start to compound as the day grows older."
And if you need a little more incentive to get up at the crack of dawn, consider the financial perks. According to Brown, those early morning flights most people don't want to take usually come easier on the wallet. "Morning flights often offer the cheapest, direct flight," she noted on her blog. "Airlines know most of us can't get our butts out of bed at 4:00 AM, hence the financial appeal. I know it's tough to wake-up at the literal crack of dawn, but if you can do it, you'll be rewarded!" What are a few hours of lost sleep compared to the perks of saving money and avoiding travel chaos? And besides, there's always the option to nap mid-flight.