Flight canceled? Here’s what Myrtle Beach travel experts advise on how best to handle it
If you’re reading this, then you’ve probably been hit by one of the worst travel woes around: a canceled flight.
The awful thing about flight delays and cancellations is that they can hit anyone, even the most prepared of travelers. No amount of planning can stop a hurricane, air traffic jam or an airline’s “operational problems” from ruining a vacation.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck. And while you can’t control the weather, there are some things that you can do to make life a little bit easier.
To start, why are there so many flight cancellations this year?
Like the rest of the hospitality industry, airlines have been hit by a worker shortage. From flight attendants to pilots to baggage handlers, airlines for the last several months have struggled to hire and keep enough people to meet demand. Couple that with a surge in travel this spring and summer that tourism experts across the board weren’t expecting, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
“People, when they’re traveling right now, are just going to have to pack their patience and really understand that with cancellations, with these changes, with wait times, all of this, the industry is trying its best to service this unprecedented level of demand for travel with a significantly limited workforce.,” Myrtle Beach Hospitality Association CEO Stephen Greene said. “There’s no way to say that they’re not going to be impacted by a canceled flight. We’ve all been impacted by canceled flights even before the pandemic and even with full staff.”
The first step in handling these flight cancellations, Greene said, is to accept that it’s more than likely that you could be affected, and plan accordingly.
Practically, this means booking flights for as early in the day as possible. The earlier in the day your flight, the greater the chance of being able to switch to another flight in case your initial trip gets delayed indefinitely or canceled. It’s much easier to get on a 1 p.m. trip after a canceled 9 a.m. flight than it is to find another flight after a canceled 10 p.m. flight.
In the event you’re stuck overnight, many airlines will find you a place to stay and should have contracts with nearby hotels for this purpose. Keep in mind that if you’re flight gets canceled, there might be a significant wait until you get that secured. Most planes hold up to 200 passengers. You won’t be the only one trying to get a last-minute hotel room.
“They’re obviously trying to work with guests as best as possible,” Greene said.
With how busy the Myrtle Beach airport has been this summer, TSA spokesman Mark Howell said passengers can make a big difference by keeping an eye on flight delays. If you see your flight has been delayed by several hours, don’t head to the airport. It will help keep lines down from rental cars to check-in to security. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to arrive at the last minute, as the airport currently recommends arriving three hours early during the peak times of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“We just ask people to take a deep breath and give yourself time and just go into it knowing that airports are getting busier and and that you need to plan ahead for it,” Howell said.
Greene said it’s also important to remember, for anyone flying to the South, that there’s a strong chance that your trip could be impacted by a hurricane during the summer. Hurricane season starts June 1, but chances of tropical weather grow throughout the entire summer and peak in September. When it comes to weather, neither you nor the airlines has any control.
In the past, Greene said he’s heard of people getting upset that their flight got canceled because of a tropical storm, but maybe they should look on the other side. Do you want to fly to a hurricane to get to Myrtle Beach?
“You’re going to be impacted by storms,” Greene said. “What do you think we can do, go out there” and wish the storm away?
“The weather is a factor in so many things. It’s not like any of us can solve that problem,” he added. “Sometimes people get upset, and it doesn’t matter what the reasoning is, they’re just upset that their travel has been delayed. I understand that. With travel, sometimes you have the easiest experiences, and other times it’s like, ‘Oh, my God, we missed that flight by five minutes.”
Other tips
Here’s some more flight cancellation advice, from the Washington Post travel blog, By The Way.
- Give yourself time: Important trip coming up? Maybe book the flight a day (or days) in advance of the event, just in case your initial flight gets canceled.
- Get a direct flight: Less room for error. Even this reporter has had to switch flights at the last minute because a flight delay left less than 15 minutes of room for a connection.
- Don’t check a bag: If you’re flight gets canceled, you might be sent on a scavenger hunt to find out where in the airport black hole your bag has been sent.
- Pack snacks! Several people at Myrtle Beach International Airport recently told The Sun News that there was next to nothing in the way of food. Coming prepared with granola bars will save you from fighting hangry crowds for the last cinnamon roll at the only restaurant outside of security.
This story was originally published August 3, 2021 at 9:35 AM.
