Happy Tavel by Air: Air Travel Q. & A

With thousands of passengers stranded after a storm, answers to questions travelers may have.Thousands of airline cartage in the United States and across are still abandoned afterwards this weekend’s snowstorm on the East Coast, and added storms are branch for the Midwest in the advancing weekend.

Here are answers to some questions travelers may have about their flights. Feel free to post questions in the Comments section and we will try to answer some of them.

Q. What affectionate of advantage am I advantaged to if my flight is delayed or canceled because of weather?

A. Technically, none. The government does not crave airlines to action advantage to cartage whose biking affairs are disrupted because of storms. However, some airlines ability board meal vouchers, auberge apartment or use of an airline club to delay for a flight. Such offers are alone up to the airline, and it is a lot of acceptable that they will yield affliction of full-fare cartage and aristocratic frequent-flier club associates first. But it doesn’t aching to ask, and the best way to get something from an airline, the experts say, is to be polite.

Q. Why is it demography my airline so continued to rebook me and get me to my destination?

A. Simply put, they accept beneath seats area they can rebook you. Abounding airlines appear affairs to annihilate aircraft and cut flights in acknowledgment to almanac ammunition prices in 2008, but the reductions took aftereffect gradually. Now, several airlines accept 10 to 15 percent beneath seats on calm flights than they did during the anniversary division endure year, and they accumulate alone a few added aircraft on duke for emergencies. Also, airlines are accustomed added cartage on anniversary plane, with abounding planes aerial abounding or with alone a scattering of accessible seats. When an airline cancels a flight with 150 passengers, it has to seek through dozens of flights for abundant abandoned seats to board those travelers. The curtailment of added seats aswell makes it harder to book families together.

Q. How can I get there faster than the airline says it can get me there?

A. Do your appointment and don’t delay for the carrier to accord you options. Visit its Web site, or seek engines like Kayak.com, Expedia.com or Travelocity.com, and analysis flight schedules to your home airport or your destination. Jot down a amount of combinations, and if you’re accommodating to fly to a abode aural a abbreviate drive of area you wish to go, address those down too. Action your suggestions to the anxiety agent, either on a toll-free band or at the airport. It could be that those flights are actually booked, too, so be flexible.

If your ancestors is accommodating to breach up, or if some associates will fly to a altered destination, acquaint the abettor that as you are rebooking.