How I Dealt With A Recent Cancelled Flight
Travel on Point(s) recently hosted it's fifth ever meetup in Milwaukee. Being that the meetup was in April, and I live in Vermont, it is not too surprising to find out that we got a blizzard in spring. After all, Vermont is notorious for it's April Fools joke of giving us one last glorious dumping of snow. Of course, that surprise dumping this year came on the day I was shipping out to attend ToP Milwaukee 2024. It's only fitting that my flight to Milwaukee was in fact cancelled. I wanted to share my experience dealing with this cancelled flight, and a couple of tips this experience reinforced for me. Did I make it to Milwaukee in time for the meetup? Keep reading to find out!
Setting the Stage
My original flight routing was scheduled to be Burlington, Vermont to Milwaukee, connecting via Philadelphia on American Airlines. I had booked this flight via British Airways as a saver award. However, as I alluded to, things did not quite go to plan. The day that I intended to fly out, Vermont got hit with a snow storm that accumulated 10 inches when it was all said and done. I was carefully watching the weather all day, as I got ready to head to the airport around 3 PM. I was aware my flight could be affected, but was cautiously optimistic that I would make it out alright. Unfortunately for me, I got a notice around 2 PM that my flight to Philadephia had been cancelled.
Taking Action Into My Own Hands
As soon as I found out about the cancelled flight, I had the American Airlines Executive Platinum hotline on speed dial. After a short hold, I asked the agent I was connected to about all options I had to get out tonight. I even fed the agent flight numbers that would potentially work, but alas, the agent told me there was zero space left. This is where I took matters into my own hands. I decided to head to the airport and see if I could get a live person in front of me. I figured if I could make it to the airport and speak to ground staff, I could at the very least get on the standby list for a sold out flight.
Once I made it into the airport there was a long queue to speak to an agent at the American Airlines counter. All of these folks in line probably all had similar situations, leading to a back up. Luckily, knowing that I have Executive Platinum status, I was able to hop into the priority access line and speak to the next agent. I waited probably a total of 2 minutes in order to speak to a ground agent.
The Resolution On the Ground
Going to the airport ended up being my saving grace. The agent that I spoke with was able to rebook me in a matter of minutes. The agent walked me through all my options, and rerouted me through Washington D.C. (DCA). This was specifically helpful for my cancelled flight, because there was also weather in the Philadelphia area. By going through DCA, I had a better chance of getting out. This same flight, which connected through Washington D.C., was not available to the agent on the phone. I mentioned this to the ground agent and she replied that due to other passengers deciding not to fly due to other delays I was able to take one of their spots. This worked out wonderfully for me, and being persistent paid off in spades. Had I not gone into the airport, I am certain I would not have made it out that night without spending a ton of miles or cash on another carrier.
Being re-routed through DCA brought with it an unexpected gift. I was put on the same flight to MKE as ToP Admins Sarah, Derrick, and Shira, plus group member Mary! What a happy accident and a delight. In even better news, as I was waiting to board my first flight my upgrade was confirmed for the flight to MKE.
Cancelled Flight Success: ToP Thoughts
Having a flight cancelled is stressful and frustrating. It happens from time to time with staffing, weather, and a plethora of other reasons. There's little that you can do to ensure these things don't happen to you. What you can do when a flight is cancelled, is act quickly and use the resources available to you. In my story, being persistent and going to the airport saved my butt. Having ToP tier airline status helped me grab get me to an agent, and an open seat, more quickly as well. You can sometimes create something similar with lounge access etc. Knowing when to ask, and where to do it, can mean the world of a difference.
Have you ever had success with a travel interruption on an award ticket? Share your success story with us over in the ToP Facebook group!
