Thursday, April 25, 2013

Avoiding flight Delays during the Sequester


The News is all over the place. The Government sequester is causing flight delays due to Air Traffic Controllers being forced to take 1 unpaid day off every 2 weeks. It was announced that yesterday there were over 800 delays due to this Sequester. The FAA classifies delays as anything over 15 minutes.

So what do we the Public do to work around this current situation? Here are some tips.

1- Take early flights. Anything earlier than 9 AM the earlier the better. In fact try to lok for the First flight of the day. I know that may not work well for Sleepy Heads like me, but you have a better chance of getting to your destination on time.

2- Take Non-stops if at all possible. Yes they usually cost more. However you don't have to worry about missing your connection. If you must have a connecting flight, allow a cushion of time , 1-2 hours between the flights.

3 – Be flexible, arrange for flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, those days are less traveled and less crowded.


The following tips won't help you to avoid flight delays due t the Sequester but it will help to cope with them

1-Always, Always, purchase Travel Insurance. It can cover items like overnight hotel stays, lost luggage, and other mishaps due to flight delays and missed flights

2- If taking a cruise, seriously consider arriving to the Port the day before. There is nothing worse than missing your embarkation on a wonderful Cruise vacation due to a flight delay. But if you do miss it, of course you have the Travel Insurance that would help you get to the next Port!!

3- Lastly you can check whether your flight is delayed or not Courtesy of my website www.GailsDreamVacations.com