Air travel has been chaotic the past few months, especially with a rise in travel. Airlines are canceling and delaying flights, frustrating eager travelers. The thousands of flight cancellations during Memorial Day weekend led travelers to worry about their pre-planned summer travel plans.
Many travelers are asking themselves if canceling their flight is the best option this summer.
If you’re booking flights this summer, try to book on bigger airlines because they usually offer better protection than budget airlines. Booking direct morning flights is great, so if you experience delays or cancellations, you’ll have options for later in the day.
Related: Travelers Experience Thousands Of Flight Cancellations This Memorial Day Weekend
Should you cancel your flight?
If you cancel a flight you already booked, chances are you’ll lose out on money unless you have travel insurance or your flight is refundable.
Depending on the airline you’re flying with, it’s most likely best not to cancel your flight. However, when an airline cancels a flight, you are entitled to a refund. If your trip is canceled by the airline less than 14 days before the departure date, the airline has to refund the full cost.
Finance guru Martin Lewis says, “If you’re not certain to get a refund, and your trip has not been canceled by the firm you booked with, don’t make a rash decision and automatically cancel the trip yourself.”
So, you really want to cancel?
If you really want to cancel, it’s important to research the timeline your airline has for a partial refund. Cancel before the deadline so you won’t lose out on all of your money.
What’s causing all of this chaos?
Flight cancellations have been resulting from airline staff shortages that leave them unable to keep up with demand.
Adam Gordon, a managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group says, “The ecosystem has become quite stretched as airlines try to meet this robust passenger demand and try to get everyone where they want to go this summer.”
In a lot of cases, airlines didn’t fully plan for the surge in flights.
“In this instance, especially with Delta, it seemed like their eyes were a little bit bigger than their stomach. They had more flights on the schedule that they could reasonably operate,” says Scott Keyes, founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights.
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