The First Hour of a Travel Disruption

Minute 0 to 10: find out what is actually true

Establish the facts before making decisions. What has changed, is it confirmed, and who confirmed it. Rumours in a gate area travel faster than official information and are wrong about half the time.

Screenshot everything you see. It costs nothing and it is the evidence you may need later.

Minute 10 to 25: map the knock on effects

Write down every part of the trip that depends on the thing that just changed. Connections, transfers, accommodation, car hire, events, and anyone waiting for you.

Rank them by how hard they are to move. Flights are usually hardest, hotels are often easiest, and that ranking tells you where to spend your effort.

Minute 25 to 45: open two channels at once

Queue in person and try the app or phone line at the same time. Airlines are not offended by this and it genuinely shortens the wait.

Have your booking reference, flight number and preferred alternatives ready before you get to the front. Knowing which two flights you would accept makes the conversation much faster.

Minute 45 to 60: confirm and communicate

Get whatever is agreed in writing, even if it is only a text message with a new flight number. Verbal agreements at a busy desk have a way of disappearing.

Then tell the people affected. A short message with the new plan saves a dozen worried ones later.

• New booking reference or flight number in writing
• Baggage status confirmed
• Anyone meeting you updated
• Receipts collected in one place

What to avoid

Do not cancel anything yourself before you understand the alternatives, since a self cancelled booking is often treated differently from a disrupted one.

And do not book a replacement out of pocket in the first ten minutes unless you are certain it is necessary. It sometimes is, but the decision is better made once you know what is being offered.