Solving Common Travel Dilemmas

Above, the arrival lobby of Narita International Airport's Terminal One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in February, I checked the flight status of my flight to Los Angeles from Japan. The United Airlines website indicated that the flight was cancelled. Luckily, I checked the flight status the night before and found that they re-booked me on another flight that would have taken me first to Guam, with a layover there of several hours. Then, from Guam to Honolulu with another multi-hour layover. and then to San Francisco (or Sacramento, I can't remember which at the moment) before heading into Los Angeles.

Not wanting to go to Guam or Honolulu (especially since both stops would be at night with nothing to see), I went to Narita International Airport several hours early before my flight and managed to get a direct flight from Narita to Los Angeles that would begin boarding in about three hours. That was good luck on my part! Or was it?

However, in reading an article by Lisa Gill at Condé Nast Travel, it looks like I followed her recommendations on what to do if bumped from a flight.

She has a number of solutions if one is faced with travel problems involving airline ticketing, lost luggage, hotels and car rentals.

Her article begins with:

You've planned your vacation carefully, packed only the essentials, and double-locked the front door, only to find out that…your flight is cancelled, the airline lost your luggage, and your hotel room is not exactly what you expected. We have put together the best tips to protect your rights as a traveler, including how to get your luggage back, how to get your flight rebooked, and how to negotiate compensation when things go really, really wrong.

To read more, go here.