SLICE: Airport Survival Guide – How not to fly off the handle

by | Jul 26, 2024 | Lifestyle

Here’s what to expect from airlines if your trips are ever forcefully put on hold, and how to arrive at your destination without too many battle scars.

Besides the obvious inconvenience caused by delayed and cancelled flights, the process of rebooking can be equally stressful . I was recently in this situation, and I couldn’t help but worry that making the wrong move, or taking too long figuring things out might leave me stranded in a foreign country. In this guide I will explain how not to make the same mistakes I did in my recent travels.

During the winter break, I went to visit my family in Italy and was meant to return on Sunday July 14, the day before third term. However, because of air traffic at Zürich Airport, I missed my connecting flight back to Johannesburg. Twelve hours of travel turned into sixty, and I only arrived on the morning of Wednesday July 17.

The suitcase, boarding pass and South African Passport I had with me all times during my delay. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio

In a situation like this, the first thing you should do – besides trying your best to keep calm – is understand your rights as a passenger. Depending on where in the world you’re flying and who regulates said region, you can expect differing forms of compensation if your travels are delayed for an extended period.

For example, according to Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, when flying from European Union (EU) countries, or with EU-based airline carriers, you’re entitled to between EUR 200 and EUR 600 in compensation. This depends on the distance of your flight, as well as if you can prove that your carrier was at fault for the delay, and not due to an “extraordinary circumstance”. Unfortunately, because of this legal loophole, my compensation is pending indefinitely.

According to the same regulation you are also awarded a right to free meals, hotel rooms and transport in the case of extended delays, as well as the right to a free re-routing of your trip.

Now that you know what you’re entitled to, ask a flight attendant where the nearest transfer desk is (there may also be an airport map you can download to help you navigate any winding corridors and sprawls of other lost passengers). Transfer desks are where you report your situation and request to be rebooked, if you haven’t been automatically rebooked by your carrier.

On that note, transfer desks are the worst part of any airport, only really serving frustrated travellers desperate to get home. Bickering, insults and profanity surrounded most of the transfer desks I encountered, as well as swells of queue-cutters and exasperated faces. I was automatically rebooked by my carrier, Swiss Air, but I still needed to find the transfer desk because I had mistakenly been re-routed to Johannesburg via John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Thankfully, I instead ended up heading home via Addis Ababa, and arriving in Ethiopia was like a breath of fresh air in comparison to Zürich. The Swiss are notorious for their administrative ability, but, in my experience, the lack of organisation mixed with a widely shared superiority complex amongst many Swiss Air employees made my time in Zürich excessively grating.

My layover in Addis Ababa, however, was markedly more positive. Efficient and friendly service made the twelve hours spent in Ethiopia fly by. Ethiopian Airways have won best African airline seven years in a row and, in my experience, their attention to detail and care for their clients put Swiss Air to shame.

As confused travellers, there is a tendency to allow those who are in charge to dictate your experience. Following these steps may help you regain some semblance of control in the chaos that consumes all airports. Learning from my own missteps, I hope I have been able provide some guidance and respite to any other novice travellers who might feel lost or overwhelmed.

FEATURED IMAGE: Example of a Flight Information Display System (FIDS) in an airport. Photo: Adobe Stock

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