thunderstorm-induced woes in early August?Here's some advice to help travelers navigate the system when flights are delayed or canceled whether by staff shortages, weather or other issues.
Actionable tips are highlighted in bold:Avoid getting trapped at the airportAs bad as it is to find out your flight has been delayed for a long time, or worse, canceled, it's better to find out from the comfort of home or a hotel room and make new arrangements from there."Check your flight status before you go the airport. Most of these notifications are not happening at the last minute," said Scott Keyes, the founder of Scott's Cheap Flights. "Save yourself the drive to the airport."Keyes told CNN Travel in an interview that you should sign up for airlines' free text alerts on the status of flights when you buy your ticket.
You should also download your carrier's app.You can also put your airline and flight number directly into a Google search bar to retrieve the status that way.
That's also handy for friends or family who are on standby to pick you up.Keyes also suggested checking the website FlightAware to track larger flight trends across the country.If you're at the airport alreadySometimes, the delays and cancellations happen after you've arrived at the airport.