When my husband and I were stranded in Paris during the global Crowdstrike meltdown last month, we decided to make lemonade out of lemons. We were on our way home, flying Delta Air Lines from Istanbul to Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a transfer in Paris after a two-week Mediterranean cruise.
There are worse things than being stuck in Paris, so we took advantage of our extra time in the City of Lights, knowing we would eventually get some of our expenses reimbursed. After four (admittedly fun) days of enjoying French food, shopping, and anticipating the Olympics, Delta and its partner airline Air France finally found a flight to bring my husband home. And I decided to just stay in Europe at that point, since I would be back on the continent in less than a week for another assignment.
Reality hit me hard, though, when I returned to the States earlier this month and discovered that trying to sort out refunds for canceled flights and expenses is about as much fun as my taxes. And don’t ask me how much time I spent on hold. Things are still very much in flux on that front, but here are some of the key lessons I’ve learned about what to do if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed amid major travel upheaval.
Call the airline immediately and go to the lounge for additional customer assistance
Forget the long lines at the airport. Instead, call the airline immediately. And if you have access, go to the lounge where staff can assist you while you wait in more comfortable surroundings. In this case, due to the sweeping global event, our call to Delta was put on hold and took six hours to get a call back. But at least we got free food while staff at Air France, Delta’s partner in Paris, helped us find new flights.
Pay for your trip with a credit card with travel insurance – and check the conditions again
When traveling, always pay for your trip with a credit card that offers insurance that covers expenses the airline may not (these cards offer some of the best rates). But check the terms. The credit card I used promises to reimburse uncovered, reasonable expenses, but only those paid with that card. Luckily, I had paid for our hotel in Paris with that card.
Always take a change of clothes and all important things in your hand luggage
This advice is pretty common, but it bears repeating. My husband checked his carry-on along with another bag at the last minute in Istanbul, and we never saw those bags again until he got home to Albuquerque. Don’t forget to always carry a change of clothes, medications, and toiletries in your carry-on so you have them with you in case you get separated from your checked baggage.
Keep your receipts
Since we only had my carry-on for four days, we had to buy a few clothes and other essentials. Delta promises to cover an average of $50 per person per day for lost or delayed baggage, but you must provide proof of these purchases.
Take screenshots
When we learned we wouldn’t be able to catch a flight out of Paris until the next day, hotels in Paris quickly filled up. The only decent airport hotel that was still available showed nightly rates of $15,000. I can only assume that was a mistake, but I took a screenshot. Hopefully it will give me an edge if the airline or credit card company disputes our nightly rates, because we ended up driving into the city and booking a boutique hotel that, at $440 for the first night, was more than you’d expect for an airport hotel, but right in the middle range of available hotels in the city center. And the price dropped by almost $100 per night for the last three nights.
Track the rebooking progress in the airline’s app
Make sure you have downloaded the app for the airline you are flying with. Before we went to the airport the next day to check in for our new flight, I checked the Delta App and it said we had been rebooked on a flight for the next day. So we didn’t bother going to the airport. When we arrived the next day, they had no booking for us. I didn’t need it, but I was glad to have the screenshot (see point above) in case they wanted to blame us for not showing up for the previous day’s flight.
Stay cool
Customer service agents have no more control over extreme circumstances, such as a global technological breakdown, than you do. And they generally do their best to help you. When we were at the airport making our second attempt to rebook, there was an angry man standing there shouting at the agents and calling fellow travelers “low class.” After slamming a stack of euros on the table to get better service, he was escorted away while being told the police would be called. I’m not sure what happened, but I bet he didn’t get the seat he wanted.
Ask (politely) for the desired seats
If you’re not happy with your rebooked flights, it never hurts to politely ask for another option. We originally flew Delta Premium Economy, but our rebooking was for unassigned seats in Economy Class on Air France. When we explained that we really didn’t want to fly that far and would probably be in a middle seat in the back of the plane, the agent kept searching and got my husband the last Premium Economy seat on an Air France flight two days later.
Know your rights, both in the United States and abroad
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) details what reimbursements and costs airlines have promised to pay. If your flight is to or from the European Union, or an EU-based airline flies to or from Europe, you may be entitled to additional compensation of up to $650 if you arrive at your final destination more than three hours after your original arrival time. To find a claim form, search for EU261 (the name of the law) on the airline’s website, or look online for a general claim form or services that will help you submit the claim for a fee.
Ask for more if you feel your compensation is not enough
When Delta offered refunds for the unused portions of my flight that seemed too low to me, I called my credit card company to dispute the original charges for the tickets. I promptly received a slightly better refund with documentation of their calculations for one of those charges. I’m still not completely happy with their calculation of the other, so the back and forth continues.
Try to make the most of it if you can
A sudden, drawn-out change of plans is never fun. And we were lucky. We had no pressing reason to stay home, a dog sitter who could stay as long as needed, and our backup credit card insurance to hopefully cover any extra costs not paid by Delta. So we decided to stop stressing about things that were out of our control and just enjoy the extra time in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. That’s life!
