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Quiz: What Would You Do If Your Flight Was Canceled or Delayed?

Test your travel skills


spinner image woman looking at arrival and departure board at an airport
It is a good idea to be proactive when the departure board lights up with delays and cancellations.
Getty Images

Question 1 of 8

Booking flights with connections ...

It’s important to stay updated on weather and flight information to help you plan for potential delays or cancellations.

Question 2 of 8 

When it comes to avoiding delays and cancellations, which is more advantageous?

“Once a few cancellations happen, the domino effect means a higher percentage of later flights will be delayed or canceled,” Zach Griff, senior airline reporter for The Points Guy, told AARP.

Question 3 of 8

True or false? There’s little your travel agency can do if you booked through it and things go wrong during your trip.

 

“We can connect with the right people to rebook a flight that’s canceled,” Limor Dector, travel adviser at the Embark Beyond travel agency, told AARP.

Question 4 of 8

True or false? The U.S. Department of Transportation requires airlines to give a full refund if a flight gets canceled — for any reason.

 

Airlines may try to offer travel vouchers instead of a refund, but you do not have to accept them instead of cash. In April, the DOT issued a rule that requires airlines to automatically provide passengers with cash refunds when they are owed.  

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Question 5 of 8

You’re facing a major flight delay. According to travel experts, should you ask your airline for help or just wait it out?

 

Be prepared for little or no compensation, especially in case of weather delays. “But it can’t hurt to ask” for assistance, Griff said.

Question 6 of 8

According to an expert we interviewed, which of these is better for avoiding airline delays?

 

Parent airlines tend to get priority for airport access and staffing, Griff told us.

Question 7 of 8

Think you might make a last-minute flight change? You should ...

 

Using a carry-on makes you more nimble to grab a replacement flight; checked baggage sometimes gets left behind when there’s a late change in plans.

Question 8 of 8

Your flight has been canceled at the last minute. You put together a replacement itinerary that you propose to an airline representative. According to Griff, is that a good idea or a bad idea?

“It can speed up the process and give you an option you actually want,” he told us.

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