It would be a shame to allow bad weather to spoil a well plannedtrip that started off with a careful review of cheap traveloptions, including cheapairplane tickets, cheapfares, cheapdeals, discounthotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages. While it is impossible to influence weather,there are steps you can take to minimize its risks, both when planning and enroute.
The following are strategies for how to avoid common wintertravel blunders according to Smarter Travel:
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Do not makereservations that require connecting in airport hubs that are prone to delays. Ideally try to avoid connections altogetherwhen practical. When not, avoid airportssuch as Chicagos OHare in the winter. Depending on how close to departure you purchase your airline tickets,check the weather forecast for any hub you might consider flying through.
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Stayaway from scheduling tight flight connections. If you must connect to get to your destination, allow extra connectiontime. Airlines typically allowconnection times as short as 30 minutes, which is very risky if delays arelikely. Try to reserve the first flight outof the day so that you have the possibility of making a later connecting flightif you miss your scheduled connection.
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When youare informed that your flight is delayed or canceled do not stand in a longline waiting to make alternate arrangements. Instead be proactive and use your phone, laptop, or tablet to arrangeyour own replacement flight as quickly as possible. It is much smarter to tell the airline whatreplacement flight you want than to wait and ask what it can do for you.
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Do notwear heavy winter clothing to the airport. Most travelers have to spend hours inside airports whose interiors arealmost always overheated. Suchconditions can make it extremely uncomfortable for travelers dressed forwinter. Instead dress in layers, andwear a light base layer so you are comfortable when indoors or running throughairport terminals.
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Notbeing aware of your passenger rights is a common mistake. Usually if your flight is canceled or delayedby more a couple of hours, and is not due to circumstances outside the controlof the airline (such as weather) you have the right to cancel your trip with afull refund, even if you purchased a nonrefundable ticket. Be ready to ask, butdont demand, your original airline to put you on another airline if it can getyou to your destination much earlier.
Most airlines will provide meal vouchers inthe event of long delays and hotel accommodations for overnight delays, exceptfor factors outside of their control.
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Neverassume that everything will work out as planned. You need to be ready in advance to deal withbad weather surprises. Before you departhave an alternative plan. Do notschedule your trip such that a delay will cause you to miss somethingimportant. Avoid making a nonrefundablehotel reservation for the first night of your arrival; unless it is such a gooddeal that you can afford to lose your money if unable to arrive on time.
If you are departing from a problem weatherarea to go on a cruise, consider making your airline reservations through yourcruise line. By doing so, if yourarrival at the port is delayed, the cruise line will have to fix the problem.
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Do notmake the mistake of ignoring weather. Whether you are flying, driving, or taking the train, make yourselfaware of the weather conditions at your home, destination, and any keyintermediate points.
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Foregoingtravel insurance is a common mistake. When planning expensive trips that you cannot afford to walk away fromif something were to happen to prevent you from taking that trip, looking intopurchasing insurance. Check into travelinsurance policies that provide extra cancellation and delay benefits in theevent of inclement weather. Whileinsurance will not get you there any quicker, it can relieve financial burdens.
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Under nocircumstances allow yourself to lose your cool when interacting with travelemployees. You will consistently receivebetter results by remaining calm and being nice vs. shouting andthreatening.
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