My Award Flight Is Delayed: Now What?

Before You Book: Tools to Have

One of the best flight delay strategies is always staying informed about your flight. One thing I think is required for anyone getting on a plane: a flight-tracking app. While plenty are free, many also have paid versions as well. Here are a few options:

• Flighty: Our favorite, but it is available for iOS only. This app will save you often. The paid version is amazing and has many extra features. But at least download the free version to start.
• Flight Aware: Flight tracking app. It may require an account for some features.
• Flight Radar 24: Another flight-tracking app, although this one has many more ads and pop-ups than the other free ones.
• TripIt: This one is worth mentioning, although it’s more than a flight tracking app. It basically shows your trip itinerary plus gives you many flight and day of travel alerts. The Pro version is paid. I actually use TripIt Pro and Flighty because I like the itinerary features in TripIt Pro and the added layer of alerts and connection information.

Trip Booking

One of the most critical flight delay strategies is to protect yourself as much as possible from the stress you will endure if something goes wrong with your flight. Important question: Do you have an annual travel policy? If yes, you can technically skip the next step. (But there is one reason I don’t think you should. More on that later.) No? OK, keep reading.

Use the Right Payment Method

Using the right credit card to buy the flight or pay for the taxes and fees can be critical. We cover some options here and we also discuss Chase card coverage here. This comes in handy, depending on the length of your delay. And often, delays can eventually lead to cancelled flights. Knowing the trigger timeframes for coverage, like 6- or 12-hour delays, can help. You should also study rules specific to your card, like Amex’s requirement for round trips or two one-ways. Notate somewhere which card you booked with.

ToP Tip: I put this in my trip spreadsheet and my Flighty app. The app allows you to put the booking code and seat number. I just note it after my seat number entry.

Consider Getting an Annual Travel Policy

The prices can be reasonable, and may help you on top of credit card protection. An annual travel policy may have extra protections built in, like booking a new flight to get home to your next destination, whereas card protection usually does not. While these policies may have limits, having one can add that extra layer of protection. And once the benefits are used, you can defer back to credit card protection if needed and the situation allows it. Derrick recently shared his claim experience on a delay issue.

Day of Flight: Partner Bookings

If you booked via a partner, this is for you. If not, you can skip to the next section. Booking via a partner introduces some unique flight delay strategies. Up until the airline has control of the flight, it will generally not be able to do anything for you. That is why for delays prior to travel, the airline tells you to contact the partner you booked through. If you booked via a partner and you are already checked in and traveling, the airline’s metal (airline you are flying) should now have control of the flight. There can be a gray area during that time leading up to being at the airport.

Airport control is within 24 hours of departure, and immediately assumes full operational responsibility for rebooking, gate changes and delay handling once check-in opens or operations commence at the airport. This can be one of the more frustrating parts in the rare occasion you fall into the gray area. The airline may be telling you to call who you booked with and vice versa. Using the terms like you have control may help. This is a good reminder that any bookings outside of direct or a partner are a third party, like portal bookings. That can lead to many issues should delays or cancelations happen.

Delay Notice

Now, if you have the Flighty app, there is a good chance you’ll learn of the delay before the airline tells you. Furthermore, the Flighty app will be much more honest with you than the airline. Flighty might tell you upfront if a delay is expected to last multiple hours, while your airline sends you a one-hour delay notice. Then your airline sends you more alerts with each delay, which Flighty already told you about. Many of us have had this exact scenario unfold.

Important Steps

Knowing what flight delay strategies to take—and when to take them—can help make a delay notice more manageable. Not every delay may have the exact same answer or outcome, but hopefully this information will help.

Step 1

Don’t panic! You know what card you used to book. You know if you have an annual travel policy. Being prepared will make the next steps easier.

Step 2

See if the airline app will let you choose a new flight yet. Most times it won’t immediately, but keep checking. Eventually, if the delay continues or the flight cancels, the app may let you choose a new flight with no charge.

Step 2A

Search new flights and options in case your flight gets cancelled or further delayed, especially if you have a connection. Depending on the route and destination, you can start with the airline you are flying. Search and save multiple options so you’re ready to ask the airline to put you on them.

ToP Tip: Take screenshots of flight options, or list them in your phone notes. Then you can just easily scroll them with a rep.

Step 3

Do you have a connection? No? Sit tight and monitor. Unless there is a significant delay already, it may be hard to do anything, especially on a normal shorter delay. If there is another flight leaving for the same destination and it has seats, you can try and get moved.

Yes? See if they will move you now. YMMV (your mileage may vary) here depending on delay. Many times, the airline will wait until it is basically guaranteed you are going to miss your connection. You have multiple options on who to deal with in this scenario. You can talk with the gate agent, airline lounge agent, online chat (via app or social media like X) or phone call. They may not be willing to move you to what you want. This is why having multiple options saved may help so they can see what they can do.

If they could not move you, sit tight. Monitor the changes, including your next flight. It could be possible they will both get delayed. Keep checking the airline’s app. Eventually, it may let you rebook yourself.

Important consideration: Repositioning flights are at your own risk. Always give plenty of time for delays and cancellations, have backup options or travel the day before. Keep those cancellation policies handy, as well.

Taking Control Yourself

Now, it is possible that when you search for those backup flights, you might have found something bookable with points. If so, you could book it, keeping in mind cancellation policies. Sometimes, it might not be that many more points. Other times, it may be more expensive. This is all at your own cost and risk. Points can be great here, but if a cancellation happens or a very long delay and you have an annual travel policy, a cash flight might be reimbursable.

Duplicate bookings are one of the riskier flight delay strategies. If booking on the same airline while trying to keep your original delayed flight, duplicates (such as two flights booked via AA) might be cancelled. I will say I have done it on airlines without issue, but tread lightly here and be aware.

Final Reminders

A few last takeaways for your flight delay strategies:

• Be nice, keep calm, and remember many are dealing with this. Employees may be dealing with thousands of people.
• Keep all receipts, emails and any records involved with your delay or cancellation when it happens. Save until you are home and the issues are resolved.
• Weather happens. So no, the airline probably will not owe you any compensation when this occurs. But monitor those cancellation reasons.