How to avoid being stranded abroad if your flight is cancelled – by ‘reserving’ seats on the next flight for free
NEXT time your flight is about to be cancelled, you should book another seat on the next flight out.
A travel expert has revealed this is the best way to avoid being stranded abroad, thanks to airline policies including free cancellations.
Frequent traveller Jen Rubio, co-founder of luxury suitcase brand Away, explains how she travels 200,000 miles a year on average, living between New York and San Francisco.
She says she follows the "Three-Hour rule", which is how long you can be stuck on a flight on the tarmac before it has to return to the airport according to the US Department of Transport (DOT).
This is just for domestic flights in the US under ; this is not the case for international US flights (four hours) or (five hours).
However, Jen explains that she uses the time spent being taken off the plane and back into the airport - something she says can take up to 45 minutes - to call ahead and book another seat on a flight.
She : "If you think a flight is going to be cancelled, call the airline and ask them to protect you on a seat on a later flight, too."
Jen says that she does this because it takes advantage of the 24 hour free cancellation policy many airlines offer.
She added that while this means she has two seats on two flights, she can either cancel the second seat (if the first flight goes ahead) or can fly on the next flight when her first seat is cancelled (and later get a refund for it).
This can prevent you from being stranded abroad if the entire flight is cancelled, leading to hundreds of travellers trying to get on the same next flight home.
This policy is mainly for airlines in the US, such as Delta and Southwest.
Brits should always check the terms and conditions before booking the second flight - as some may not allow the refund if travel is less than seven days away.
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines have similar seven-day restrictions, while easyJet and Ryanair don't offer free cancellations.
Despite this, it is worth contacting the airline directly to see if they are able to hold a flight seat in case your flight is cancelled.
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You can claim up to £536 if your flight is delayed, depending on the length of the flight and the delay duration.
However, if you miss your flight because of your own mistake, you're unlikely to get a refund.
It could also mean your return flight is cancelled, if you miss the outbound journey.