A few weeks ago I traveled internationally for the first time since February 2020. A conference for travel advisors to Costa Rica made perfect sense for my return to international travel. Like many of you I have heard stories about canceled flights and missed trips, but I had no idea what I was in for. Can we start with the outbound flight to Costa Rica was canceled hours before the scheduled departure? And since I am the travel advisor, there was no one to call. First, I did what I would do for a client and checked to see if the airline had rebooked me (actually me and hubby). Um, yeah no. I checked the Delta app-get it if you are flying Delta because it is the easiest way to re-book. The app indicated that the airline was trying to re-book me, the next day.

This was not looking good, but it was too early to panic. Our flight from Baltimore had a layover in Atlanta, where we would get on the flight to Costa Rica, so I started looking to see how I could get us to Atlanta. I am fortunate to live in the DC area because I could choose from three airports. Surely I could get us to Atlanta in time for the connection! Yeah that was a no. The reports of increased travel this summer are not exaggerated. I could not get us to Atlanta in time for the connection!

So to give you some context, our original flight was scheduled for Sunday, 7:10 am and it was 3:50 am. I checked the Delta app again which showed a possible re-book that would get us to Atlanta that day but the flight to Costa Rica the following day. UGH!!!! So, not what I wanted, but the conference was not starting until Monday night, so I could still make the conference in time.

Tip#2 – If you are traveling for an event or special occasion, schedule travel so that you get to the city a day prior, at least. Especially if you are cruising out of a city other than your home city, plan to be in the departure city no later than the day prior. And while every travel advisor will tell you to make sure that you have travel insurance, money can not replace the experiences that you miss on a trip.

As the hour grew later, I called Delta to see if I had missed any way to get out on Sunday. The wait time was 42 minutes to speak to a rep, so I dressed just in case I could get on another flight, with the option to get a cal back from a representative. Only to get a text from Delta 5 minutes later that my original flight was leaving on time!

Great! We leave as scheduled, on time.

And then the return trip. (I will do a separate post about COVID testing required prior to the return flight.)

1:19 pm Thursday (Costa Rica time) departed on time to Atlanta

10:35 pm scheduled departure out of Atlanta to Baltimore, but that was not to be

1:05 am Friday (yes, the next morning) actual departure from Atlanta en route to Baltimore

2:40 am Friday, the pilot announced that BWI was not allowing the flight to land and they had closed the runways. The pilot explained that this was an issue prior to take-of but he and Delta/Atlanta were assured that the flight would be able to land.

2:40 am Friday, flight is diverted to Washington Dulles. We arrive at Washington Dulles safely, but there was no one to open the ramp at the airport. Delta ramp staff were not expected before 4:00am.

4:00 am Friday morning, The ramp agent arrived and we were allowed off the plane. The ramp agent announced that there would be a shuttle to take passengers to BWI and a flight crew had been diverted to Washington Dulles to fly the plane back to Baltimore for an 8:00 am departure. Either option required that passengers collect their luggage. Everyone gets off the airplane.

5:10 am Friday, luggage is available. There was no one to take the luggage off the plane at 4:00 am.

5:30 am Friday, departure via shuttle arranged by Delta Airlines en route to Baltimore.

6:50 am Friday, arrival at Baltimore Washington International Airport.

My friends in the airline industry remind of the great departure of COVID. While many want to explore the world after leaving jobs, the simple fact is that many positions have not been filled and the airline industry is no different in that there is a severe shortage of man power. Our pilot was extremely upset with the circumstances and he and the rest of the crew did what they could in a bad situation. Our flight crew had no control over ramp staff or luggage attendants. And yes I arrived home 7 hours after my expected arrival, but I was safe.

AND, I said that our pilot was so very disturbed by the circumstances. Before we left the plane he said that he would see if he could get the passengers something. Imagine my surprise when at 3:00 pm that afternoon, I received a $100 credit from Delta with apologies for the inconvenience.

Unfortunately, my story is not unique. This is travel post-pandemic. Airlines, airports, and other suppliers are short-staffed and we are feeling the impact.

Tip #3 – Be kind. The people that are in front of you are probably doing their best in poor circumstances. No one wants to cancel your flight or delay your arrival. Certainly ask questions. Call your travel agent as soon as there is an unexpected trip interruption. But know that the infrequent interruption pre-March 2020, is becoming the usual so be prepared.