3 Things To Do If Your Memorial Day Weekend Flight Gets Canceled Or Delayed

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, and thousands of Western New Yorkers will be traveling for the long weekend, crowding up our roads and airports.

More people are flying than they have in years, and thanks to the long weekend, your airport experience could quickly become a hectic mess.

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Because of the high volume of travelers this Memorial Day weekend, along with ongoing airline staff shortages, there’s always a risk that your flight could get delayed or canceled altogether. 

No matter how prepared you might be (constantly checking your airline’s app, obsessively checking the weather report, and getting “just-in-case” travelers insurance), sometimes, the inevitable happens, and you find yourself waiting around for hours in the Buffalo-Niagara Airport due to circumstances out of your control.

Instead of getting stressed or panicked, there are a few steps you can take to ease the situation and resolve any issues in getting to your holiday destination. 

This Memorial Day weekend, if you find your flight out of Buffalo canceled or delayed while you’re already at the airport, here’s what to do.

Get In Line

Don’t waste any time. Immediately, get in line to talk to an agent. The lines are going to be long and will only get longer the more time you waste putting it off. 

Get On The Phone

While you’re in line, log on to your airline’s app. Many airlines offer the option to change or reschedule your outgoing flight right on the app. If your airline doesn’t have that option, call them instead and ask to speak to an airline representative. 

Get A Grip

Thousands of people across the country will be in the same predicament as you are this Memorial Day weekend. Remember: This is NOT the airline staff’s fault. Ever since the pandemic, airlines are more short-staffed than ever due to layoffs and early retirement. Many airlines are actively trying to address the issue by scheduling more flights, recruiting more employees, and bettering working conditions, but these initiatives take time. Be patient and be kind. Keep calm, and travel (safely) on. 

Hopefully, your travel plans will go off without a hitch and everything will be smooth sailing (or, um, flying). But in the rare occurrence you find yourself without a flight, now you have these three steps in your back pocket ready to go.