When my husband and I got stranded in Paris during the global Crowdstrike meltdown last month, we decided to make it a lemonade out of lemons event. We were on our way home, flying with Delta Air Lines from Istanbul to Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a connection through Paris following a two-week Mediterranean cruise.
There are worse things than being stuck in Paris, so we embraced our our added time in the City of Lights, knowing that we would ultimately get some of our expenses reimbursed. After four (admittedly fun) days of eating French food, shopping, and soaking up the pre-Olympics excitement, Delta and its partner airline Air France finally found a flight to get my husband home. And I decided to just stay in Europe at that point as I was due back on the continent for another assignment in less than a week.
Reality, however, hit hard when I made it back to the States earlier this month and realized that trying to sort out refunds for canceled flights and expenses is about as much fun as doing my taxes. And don’t even ask how much time I have spent on hold. Things are very much still in flux on that end, but here are some of the key lessons I learned about what to do when your flight is canceled or significantly delayed amid major travel upheaval.
Call the airline immediately and head to the lounge for added customer support
Forget the long customer service lines at the airport. Instead, call the airline immediately. And if you have access, go to the lounge, where there are agents who can assist you while you wait in more comfortable surroundings. In this case, due to what a widespread global event it was, our call to Delta was put in a queue that took six hours to get returned. But at least we had free food while the agents for Air France, Delta’s partner in Paris, helped us sort out new flights.
Pay for travel using a credit card with travel insurance—and double-check the terms
When traveling, you should always pay for your trip with a credit card that offers insurance that will cover expenses the airline might not cover (these cards offer some of the best plans). But check the terms. The credit card I used promises reimbursement of uncovered, reasonable expenses, but only those charged to that card. Luckily, I had put our hotel in Paris on that card.
Always bring a change of clothes and any essentials in your carry-on
This advice is pretty common but it bears repeating. My husband checked his carry-on luggage along with one other 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 have a change of clothes, medicines, and toiletries in your carry-on luggage so that it’s with you if you get separated from your checked bags.
Save your receipts
Since we had only my carry-on for four days, we had to buy some clothing and other essentials. Delta promises to cover an average of $50 per person per day for lost or delayed baggage, but you need to show proof of those purchases.
Take screenshots
By the time we got word that we wouldn’t get a flight out of Paris until the next day, Paris hotels were booking up fast. The only decent airport hotel still available was showing nightly rates of $15,000. I can only assume that was a mistake, but I took a screenshot. It will hopefully give me some leverage should the airline or credit card company challenge our lodging charges, as we ended up heading into the city and booking a boutique hotel that at $440 for the first night was more than you would expect to pay for an airport hotel, but fell right in the mid-range for hotels available in the city center. And the rate dropped by almost $100 a night for the last three nights.
Track rebooking progress on the airline’s app
Make sure you have downloaded the app for the airline you’re flying with. Before we went to the airport the following day to check in for our new flight, I checked the Delta app and it said we had been changed to a flight for the following day. So, we didn’t bother to go the airport. When we arrived the following day, they had no booking for us. I didn’t need it, but I was happy to have the screenshot (see above item) just in case they tried to fault us for not showing up for the previous day’s flight.
Keep your cool
Customer service agents have no more control over extreme circumstances, such as a global tech meltdown, than you do. And they generally do the best they can to help you out. While we were at the airport making our second attempt to get rebooked, there was an irate man who was yelling at the agents and calling fellow passengers “low class.” After he slammed down a stack of euros to try get better service, he was led away while being told police would be called. I’m not sure what happened, but I’m betting he didn’t get the seat he wanted.
Ask (nicely) for the seats you want
If you are not happy with your rebooked flights, it never hurts to politely request a different option. We were originally flying Delta Premium Economy, but our rebooking was for unassigned coach class seats with Air France. When we explained that we really didn’t want to fly that far in what would likely be a middle seat in the back of the plane, the agent did more 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 expenses airlines have promised to pay. If your flight is traveling to or from the European Union or is an E.U.-based airline flying into or out of Europe, you may also be eligible for additional compensation, on a sliding scale 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 the airline website for EU261 (the name of the law) or search online for a generic claim form or services that will help you file, for a fee.
Make the case for more if you don’t think you’re getting enough compensation
When Delta offered refunds that seemed low for the unused legs of my flight, 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 totally satisfied with their math on the other, so the back-and-forth continues.
Try to make the best of it, if you can
A sudden, prolonged change of plans is never fun. And we were lucky. We had no pressing reason to be home, a dog sitter who was able to stay on as long as necessary and our back-up credit card insurance that will hopefully cover any additional expenses not paid by Delta. So, we decided to stop stressing out about matters that were beyond our control and to just enjoy the added time in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. C’est la vie!
