Disruptions have now become the uninvited yet stubbornly permanent guest at the post-COVID air-travel banquet. According to FlightAware, the skies now host an average of some 5600 daily delays and 340 cancellations worldwide, a statistical reminder that punctuality, like checked luggage, is no longer guaranteed to arrive with you.
Many flights fall victim to forces beyond mortal persuasion such as inclement weather. Others are waylaid by the aviation industry’s ongoing supply-chain malaise, which has throttled the production of both aircraft and the parts required to keep them obediently airborne. At present, roughly 17,000 aircraft sit on order from the reigning duopoly of Boeing and Airbus, presumably forming the world’s longest and least comfortable list.
While these tribulations lie well beyond the jurisdiction of the average traveller (who lacks both meteorological authority and a spare aircraft factory), there remain five clever stratagems one can employ to soften the sting of delays and cancellations and perhaps emerge with one’s sanity intact. Here they are.
- Whether your journey is a fleeting overnight escape, a leisurely holiday of some duration or a multi-day business expedition, it is prudent to tuck a change of clothing and essential toiletries into your carry-on. Such foresight may prove invaluable should your beverage develop ambitions beyond the glass and make a bid for your impeccably tailored suit. Or should your checked luggage decide to pursue its own independent travel itinerary. Carry-one weight varies between airlines ranging from 7kgs to 12kgs.
- Budget fares, alluring though they may be, arrive hand-in-hand with terms and conditions carved in stone rather than pencil. One must therefore be unwaveringly certain of one’s travel intentions, both on the grand departure and the triumphant return, and under no circumstances be tempted to “skip” a sector however mischievous the idea may seem.
- Attempts to tamper with an already issued ticket can awaken penalties of heroic proportions, occasionally rivalling the cost of purchasing an entirely new ticket for one’s troubles. As for skiplagging, that particular act of aviation bravado may render the entire ticket null and void, and in certain jurisdictions, invite consequences more severe than a stern look – indeed, it may even be regarded as fraud. Proceed wisely; the airfare gods are not known for their sense of humour. Airline terms and conditions are found within the booking process with fare rules shown during purchase and on one’s e-ticket/confirmation.
Seven golden rules of air travel
- Wherever the powers that be permit it, cultivate the noble habit of online check-in. It not only guarantees you a seat but may also grant you the small, civilized joy of selecting your preferred throne in the sky. Should online check-in be denied you, present yourself at the airport counter several hours before your international departure, bright-eyed and punctual. During bustling seasons, December being a prime offender, airlines may overbook by as much as 10 per cent. In these Darwinian moments of modern travel, seats are awarded on a strictly first-come, first-served basis and lateness is rarely forgiven. International flight check-in counters typically open 3 hours before departure and close 1 hour before the flight.
- To the intrepid flyer, travel insurance is not a polite recommendation. It is an article of faith. It stands ready to rescue one from the cruel whims of fate, should a journey be cancelled, curtailed or otherwise sabotaged by forces beyond mortal control. It soothes the sting of prepaid, non-refundable expenses such as flights that never flew, hotels that never hosted or tours that never toured, by ushering in the blessed relief of reimbursement. And since one’s domestic health insurance often refuses to cross international borders, travel insurance gallantly steps in to shoulder the burden of physician’s fees, hospital bills, prescription portions and even the drama of an emergency medical evacuation, whisking the traveller to a suitably competent medical sanctuary. Most international airlines in conjunction with partners offer travel insurance.
- Most international airlines, Kenya Airways proudly among them, conduct their affairs under the august guidance of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, whose conventions govern the noble arts of flight rescheduling, ticket endorsements and refunds. Certain jurisdictions, in a fit of extra generosity, go further still, compelling airlines to offer mandatory financial compensation when delays dare to overstay their welcome. For the truly devoted reader, ahem, flyer, the KQ Conditions of Carriage repose on the airline’s official website and contain all the fine print one could possibly desire for a well-informed journey.
As the festive season approaches in all its sparkle and splendour, prudence suggests booking early and arriving punctually, lest time decides to play tricks on you. And should an unforeseen snafu intrude, as it so often does, meet it with a radiant smile and the comforting knowledge that, after all, “tis the season to be jolly.”
