Bumps in the Road

So your trip isn’t working out the way you’d hoped? Keep this advice in your back pocket (just remove it when you go through security!) and you’ll be prepared for whatever turbulence comes your way.

- MELISSA MATTHEWS,Josie Portillo

HAVING THINGS GO wrong on vacation can be soul crushing. You did so much planning! You had such high hopes for your time off! Unfortunately, many of us are bound to suffer a snafu at some point. In a survey of 3,689 people who traveled in 2023, 77 percent reported facing at least one issue. (Unexpected costs and canceled plans accounted for many of the problems, according to Bankrate, the financial services company that commissioned the research.) The odds may not be on your side, but we are! Hence, this advice for what to do when a travel disaster strikes—and how to, hopefully, avoid it in the first place.

The Disaster: Your Flight Is Canceled

WHAT TO DO IF IT HAPPENS

You need to, well, jet. “Getting rebooked on the first flight available comes down to how fast you’re able to get in touch with someone, whether on the phone, through the app, or in person,” says Katy Nastro of the airline-deal-tracking platform Going. You’ll often be given rebooking options in the airline’s app, so Nastro recommends reviewing those while waiting in the customer service line if you’re already at the airport. Don’t like what you see? Still standing in line? Call the airline while you wait. “They can see in real time what’s available, and bigger airlines might have interline agreements where they’re able to book you on another carrier,” Nastro says.

Keep in mind: You may not get exactly what you want. “There’s not an endless supply of seats to get rebooked on when something major occurs,” Nastro says. If the airline doesn’t have a flight option you like, you can ask for a full refund and book with another company that does; however, it will likely cost you much more to purchase a same-day ticket.

HOW TO AVOID IT