Flight Canceled: What to Do If the Airport Is Closed or Your Departure Is Canceled?

Every traveler hopes their trip will be smooth and exciting, but from time to time emergencies happen—military conflicts, natural disasters, or technical issues that lead to flight cancellations. It’s important to be prepared for these situations and have a clear action plan to quickly get a refund for your airline ticket or reschedule your flight. Here’s what you need to do in these cases. Read on and start planning your dream trip or organizing a business trip.  

What should you do when a flight is canceled or an airport is closed?

The most important thing is to stay on top of the latest information. Check your flight status by flight number on the airline’s website and call the airport hotline to get the most recent updates to the departure schedule—whether you bought business-class airline tickets or economy. Subscribe to the carrier’s official notifications in the app, via SMS, or by email, but keep in mind that announcements may be delayed, so don’t just wait around for them. 

If you decide not to wait for flights to resume, carefully review available flights not only from the airport you originally planned to depart from, but also from other airports you can reach quickly—this will expand your options. Notify the airline that you want to return the ticket and get a refund—during emergencies, this process is typically as fast as possible, but be prepared for delays due to high demand. Follow the instructions on the website or resolve the issue by calling the hotline.

Build a new itinerary using available connecting flights, but remember visa restrictions. If you booked your trip through a travel agent or the TravelHub business travel service, contact your manager and explain the situation—they’ll find an alternative route and help you rebook your flight. 

How do airlines respond, and what do they offer travelers?

In crisis situations, airlines respond differently, but most often, when flights are canceled en masse due to unforeseen circumstances, they offer two services that also apply to corporate flight booking:

• Free changes to your departure date within a set timeframe (7–20 days)—a good option for those who aren’t in a hurry and can wait until flights resume;
• The option to receive a refund for a canceled flight even on nonrefundable fares—an excellent choice for travelers who want to leave the country by any means necessary.

It’s important to take advantage of these offers quickly and contact the airline or the agency you purchased the tickets through as soon as you’ve mapped out a new route.

Tips for travelers

• Don’t postpone your decision—act quickly so you can secure a seat on the right flight or get a refund for your ticket.
• Stay in touch with your travel agency manager and ask any questions you have—an experienced specialist will help you handle any situation.
• Be sure to keep all receipts and documents confirming payment and flight changes.
• Keep in mind that ticket refunds aren’t instant—it can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days for the money to be credited back to your account. 

Even in the most difficult cases, don’t panic, stay calm, and remember that airlines are working to resolve emergency situations. And for organizing corporate business trips anywhere in the world, use the TravelHub service.