The TSA predicts that 25 million people will travel in the US for this year’s Thanksgiving holiday — a 7% increase since last year and the busiest travel season on record at some major airports. We caught up with Henrik Zillmer, CEO of Airhelp, the world’s leading air passenger rights company, for insights on how to prepare for the holiday travel season, what your rights are when experiencing flight disruptions and how AirHelp can assist.
How can travelers prepare for the Thanksgiving travel season?
Travelers should anticipate extreme crowds at the airport this year during Thanksgiving weekend. To best prepare for overcrowded airports, especially when traveling as a family, there are a few steps that travelers and parents can take to make sure they navigate the crowds and get to their flight on time:
- Leave early to get to the airport. If you are taking a car to the airport, it is important to leave extra time, since many other travelers will also be preparing for their Thanksgiving flights. Packing the car with your luggage the night before departing to the airport may help save precious time the day of. As an alternative, consider using public transportation to and from the airport to cut down on parking costs, and get your family to the right terminal faster.
- Be ready for long lines at security. Not only should travelers and parents prepare for traffic on the way to the airport, but larger crowds bring longer lines at security. Strategically pack your luggage to have all liquid items and your ID at the top so that they are easily accessible to TSA staff. Also, consider wearing a pullover jacket or sweatshirt instead of a zip-up jacket, especially with small children as it takes them longer to take off their jackets. This will allow you to get through security without having to worry about removing articles of clothing.
- Look into baggage fees and try to pack only a carry-on. Not only will eliminating checked baggage save you time at bag drop and at baggage claim, but it also may save travelers money on baggage fees as many U.S. airlines recently raised their checked baggage fees around 20%.
- Check the airport’s peak travel times and plan around them. The busiest travel time at one airport may be between 12:00pm – 5:59pm, while at others, it may be between 6:00pm – 11:59pm. Overall, during Thanksgiving weekend last year, flights departing between 6:00am and 11:59am experience the fewest disruptions, so when in doubt, the morning may be the best time to fly, especially with small children.
- Consider flying out of alternate airports, if your airport is known to have delays. Flying out of a different airport if flights from one airport typically experience significant disruptions is worth considering. For example, at AirHelp, we saw that last year, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) saw significant delays for several flight routes, so travelers could look into flights through Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) or Oakland International Airport (OAK) if flights are available that fit their travel needs.
- Fly on off-peak days throughout the Thanksgiving weekend. Overall, in 2017, the busiest travel day during Thanksgiving weekend was the Sunday after Thanksgiving. To avoid the largest crowds, travelers should consider booking return flights from visiting family and friends on either the Saturday or Monday after Thanksgiving.
What are travelers’ rights when experiencing flight disruptions?
When experiencing flight disruptions, travelers rely on the airlines to compensate or reimburse them as needed, yet many airlines don’t properly inform travelers of their rights, so people must understand the laws that protect them no matter where they are. Travelers’ rights for disruptions are dependent on both the circumstance as well as the airports their flights are departing from or arriving to.
- For Flight Cancellations: If you’re on a flight that’s eligible under European law EC 261, which includes flights departing from the EU and flights to the EU on an EU airline, and your flight is canceled, you’re entitled to either reimbursement of the full cost of the ticket and a return flight to the first point of departure, or re-routing to your final destination. This is in addition to compensation for your flight delay.
- For Flight Delays of 5 Hours or More: If your flight is eligible under EC 261 and you experience a delay of 5 hours or longer, you are entitled to a full or partial refund of your original ticket, if needed, in addition to compensation of up to $700.
- For Flight Delays of 3 Hours or More: If your delay is more than 3 hours and eligible under EC 261, you may be entitled to claim up to $700 in compensation, although you won’t get refunded for your ticket in these instances.
- For Missed Connections: If you are on a trip with two or more flights that are booked under the same reservation and are eligible under EC 261, and you miss a connecting flight due to a disruption on an earlier flight, you may be entitled to compensation of up to $700, and this amount depends on the flight distance. Even if only one flight is eligible, if you booked everything under one reservation, the whole distance may still be considered when calculating your compensation eligibility.
- For Boarding Denials: If you are denied boarding due to overbooking on a domestic U.S. flight or an international flight, you can request a refund of your fare and a return flight to your original point of departure, if necessary, right at the airport. In addition, you may be eligible for compensation of up to $1,350 which you can claim right at the gate.
- For Lost or Missing Luggage: If you experience luggage issues while traveling, you may be entitled to compensation. Under air passenger rights laws, including U.S. national law and the Montreal Convention, the maximum compensation from an airline for checked luggage that is either lost or damaged is $1,525 – $3,500. You must however, file a claim before leaving the airport and fill out a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) claim for your misplaced luggage. Be sure to include the case number of your bags and an itemized list of the contents in your luggage, with the value of each item.
How can AirHelp assist travelers who have experienced disruptions?
AirHelp enables travelers who have experienced travel disruptions to determine whether they are eligible for compensation under EC 261, and to file claims. To file a claim through AirHelp, you can either check your eligibility and file a claim using your flight number, boarding pass or by connecting your inbox:
- Using a Flight Number or Boarding Pass
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- When filing a claim through the AirHelp app, by using the in-app Boarding Pass Scanner, travelers can check their eligibility for flight delay compensation in real-time, enabling them to make a claim instantly from the airport and boarding gate. To use this feature, passengers simply scan the barcode on their boarding pass using their phone’s built-in camera, and the app automatically populates all necessary travel data for immediate claim submissions. The Boarding Pass Scanner also allows passengers to add multiple boarding passes at a time, keeping them organized and archived, which is ideal for people who are traveling in a group.
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- When filing a claim through the AirHelp website for one flight, travelers can enter their flight number to check eligibility and file their claim on the AirHelp website: airhelp.com.
- Connecting Their Inbox: AirHelp’s new tool allows travelers to check their eligibility for compensation from flight disruptions for up to three years in the past by simply connecting the feature to their inbox. Once connected, AirHelp can update consumers on current and future compensation eligibility as soon as their flight disruptions occur. In addition, this feature offers users the possibility of visualizing all their travel stats in a cool travel map for sharing on social.