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Travel
Travel
How to Book a Flight That (Likely) Won’t Get Canceled
Advertiser disclosure


YOU’RE OUR FIRST PRIORITY.
EVERY TIME.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence.
And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available
on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we
provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward —
and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which
products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the
site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are
grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to
guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our
partners.


HOW TO BOOK A FLIGHT THAT (LIKELY) WON’T GET CANCELED

Airline cancellations can’t be avoided entirely, but there are smart steps you
can take to prepare just in case.
By Sally French 

Sally French
Lead Writer/Spokesperson | Travel, credit cards
Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020. She
previously wrote about travel and credit cards for The New York Times and its
sibling site, Wirecutter.
Outside of work, she loves fitness, and she competes in both powerlifting and
weightlifting (she can deadlift more than triple bodyweight). Naturally, her
travels always involve a fitness component, including a week of cycling up the
coastline of Vietnam and a camping trip to the Arctic Circle, where she biked
over the sea ice. Other adventures have included hiking 25 miles in one day
through Italy's Cinque Terre and climbing the 1,260 steps to Tiger Cave Temple
in Krabi, Thailand.
She lives in San Francisco.
Learn More
and  Meghan Coyle 

Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor | Travel rewards, Credit cards
Meghan Coyle started as a web producer and writer at NerdWallet in 2018. She
covers travel rewards, including industry news, airline and hotel loyalty
programs, and how to travel on points. She is based in Los Angeles.
Learn More
 
Updated Apr 25, 2024 10:26 a.m. PDT
Edited by Meg Lee  

Meg Lee
Assigning Editor | Travel, SEO, Travel Loyalty Programs
Megan Lee joined the travel rewards team at NerdWallet with over 12 years of
SEO, writing and content development experience, primarily in international
education and nonprofit work. She has been published in U.S. News & World
Report, USA Today and elsewhere, and has spoken at conferences like that of
NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Megan has built and directed
remote content teams and editorial strategies for websites like GoAbroad and Go
Overseas. When not traveling, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base
where she likes to attend theme parties, ride her bike and cook Asian food.
Learn More



Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate
us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product
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Table of Contents

 * How to improve your chances of avoiding airline cancellations
 * What to do after booking
 * Consider booking flights with a card that includes travel insurance
 * Why are so many flights being canceled?
 * How to book better flights


MORE LIKE THISTravel InsuranceTravelTravel Rewards Credit Cards

Table of Contents

 * How to improve your chances of avoiding airline cancellations
 * What to do after booking
 * Consider booking flights with a card that includes travel insurance
 * Why are so many flights being canceled?
 * How to book better flights


MORE LIKE THISTravel InsuranceTravelTravel Rewards Credit Cards

A canceled flight can easily ruin your trip. Airlines in the U.S. are obligated
to refund you if they cancel your flight and you don't accept their offer to
rebook you on a future flight, but that's only for airfare. Airlines are not
legally required to refund any prepaid hotel reservations, cruises or tours you
might have missed because your flight was canceled.

Given that, it can be good practice to simply book flights less likely to get
canceled. After all, air travel chaos like the massive Southwest Holiday
Meltdown during the week following Christmas 2022, or the Federal Aviation
Administration’s temporary shutdown a few weeks later, is not uncommon.

🤓Nerdy Tip

If the airline cancels or makes major changes to your flight, for any reason,
you are eligible for a full refund under Department of Transportation
regulations. The definition of "major changes" isn't totally clear, but in
general, any schedule change of more than 24 hours should be eligible for a full
refund.



So how do you improve your odds of traveling on a flight that arrives in good
time? And how have flight delays and cancelations become so prevalent?


HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF AVOIDING AIRLINE CANCELLATIONS


KNOW WHICH AIRLINES ACTUALLY ARRIVE ON SCHEDULE

While past performance doesn’t guarantee future performance, it’s at least a
good indicator. NerdWallet analyzed BTS arrival data in 2023 for the 10 largest
U.S. airlines by passenger miles to determine each airline’s on-time arrivals
rate.

Percent of on-time flights

Percent of delayed flights

Percent of canceled flights

Alaska Airlines

79.48%.

19.42%.

0.81%.

American Airlines

75.94%.

22.74%.

1.06%.

Delta Air Lines

82.61%.

16.17%.

1.02%.

Hawaiian Airlines

75.20%.

23.41%.

1.30%.

Frontier Airlines

66.99%.

30.71%.

2.13%.

JetBlue Airways

67.08%.

30.40%.

2.10%.

SkyWest Airlines (Delta regional airline)

82.46%.

16.01%.

1.22%.

Southwest Airlines

77.25%.

21.55%.

1.00%.

Spirit Airlines

69.51%.

28.59%.

1.70%.

United Air Lines

78.07%.

20.27%.

1.40%.

If timeliness is a priority, consider booking Delta or its regional counterpart,
SkyWest Airlines. Both arrived on time 83% of the time. Skip JetBlue or
Frontier, both of which only landed on schedule about 67% of the time.

Air carrier problems — meaning the issue was due to circumstances within the
airline's control, such as maintenance, cleaning, baggage loading or fueling
delays — were the second most common cause of late arrivals in 2023, accounting
for nearly 7% of delays.

» Learn more: The most reliable airlines this year, according to NerdWallet
analysis


BOOK THE EARLIEST FLIGHT IN THE DAY

So what was the most common cause of delays? The aircraft arrived late from its
previous destination. In fact, that's the reason behind 7% of all delays in
2023.

It’s not uncommon for the aircraft flying an evening flight to have already made
a couple of trips earlier in the day. If one of the earlier flights was delayed,
there’d likely be a snowball effect.

For example, the aircraft’s first flight of the day may have been fine, but if
the second flight had maintenance problems and arrived late, then the third
flight would probably run behind schedule, which could in turn affect any
subsequent flights. You can try to avoid the snowball effect by booking the
day’s first flight.


AVOID LAYOVERS

Sadly, it doesn’t do you much good for the first leg of your flight to arrive on
schedule if the second leg is delayed. Who wants to sit twiddling their thumbs
in a layover city or airport?

It’s potentially even worse if the second leg of your journey departs on time,
but you miss it because your incoming flight was delayed.

Mitigate this risk by booking nonstop flights. Even if the airfare is more
expensive, it could be worth it to avoid the headache of missing a connecting
flight.

If a layover is unavoidable, it’s almost always better to book the entire
journey with the same airline on a single itinerary, as opposed to booking with
separate airlines for each leg of the trip. That way, if your first flight ends
up being delayed, the airline may work with you to adjust your connecting
flight, provided that the delay was its fault. If you book the two legs of your
trip on different airlines, you likely won’t get that kind of consideration.

» Learn more: What are layover, stopover and open jaw flights?


CHOOSE AN AIRLINE WITH MULTIPLE FLIGHTS PER DAY

If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook you on their next flight
with available space for no additional charge, according to the U.S. Department
of Transportation. If your airline runs multiple flights on the same route per
day, you may only have to wait a few hours. Sure, having to take a later flight
would be annoying, but it likely wouldn't ruin your trip.

As an example, let's say you’re flying from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, a route
that United usually flies four times per day. But you choose to take JetBlue,
which typically only flies that route two times per day. If your ticket is for
the single afternoon flight — and it then gets canceled — there’s a good chance
you won’t be able to get to Vegas that day, period.

And no, you likely won't be able to persuade JetBlue to pay for one of United's
remaining flights, as there are no federal regulations requiring airlines to put
you on another airline's flight or reimburse you for another airline’s tickets.




WHAT TO DO AFTER BOOKING

Even if you follow our advice to decrease the chances of your flight getting
canceled (say, by booking the first, nonstop flight of the day on Delta — one of
the most on-time airlines), you could still hit a patch of bad luck. These next
steps might save you some headaches:


CHECK YOUR FLIGHT STATUS

To stay informed, opt-in to receiving flight status updates by email, text or
push notification, a feature of some airline apps. Or, simply plug your flight
number into a search engine to get real-time flight data.

If your flight is canceled, you might decide you’re better off staying put and
booking a new flight from home rather than scrambling to do so at the airport.
If your flight is delayed, you might simply head to the airport at a more
leisurely pace. Just be sure to keep an eye on the flight status, because a
flight marked delayed can sometimes revert back to being on time.


DON’T PACK A CHECKED BAG (BUT DO PACK YOUR PATIENCE)

If your initial flight gets canceled and you have to book a different airline’s
last-minute flight, it might be difficult to retrieve a suitcase that’s still in
the first airline’s hands. Traveling with a carry-on lets you move more nimbly
between flights.

There is one thing you can pack that won’t take up any luggage space: patience.
The gate agent likely isn’t responsible for the delay, so be kind — and they
might be more likely to help book you on another flight.

Additionally, consider joining an airport lounge membership program like
Priority Pass. (Membership is sometimes free with certain credit cards.) Lounge
amenities — which sometimes include luxuries like nap suites, Peloton bikes,
showers and buffets — can usually make it easier to stomach a long delay.


UNDERSTAND YOUR RIGHTS

If your flight is delayed or canceled, know what compensation you’re entitled to
(as airlines sometimes compensate you for delays or cancelations, but not
always). Sadly, it’s not much when it comes to delays; there are no federal laws
requiring airlines to provide passengers with compensation for delayed flights.

Some airlines offer vouchers, such as meal vouchers or hotel vouchers to
stranded passengers, but that's uncommon among budget airlines. Airlines are not
required to reimburse you for non-air expenses, such as a prepaid hotel room or
a missed cruise departure.

For canceled flights where you opt not to be rebooked on another flight, you are
entitled to a refund of the airfare, even if you bought nonrefundable tickets.

» Learn more: What flight delay compensation you should get if you get stuck


HAVE A BACKUP PLAN

Given that airlines aren’t legally required to do much to help you, understand
how to help yourself. If your flight already has been canceled at the last
minute, follow these steps.

For everyone else, you can plan in advance for a potential flight cancellation:

 * Map out nearby airports or alternative transportation: For example, if your
   in-state flight from Burbank to Oakland, California, gets canceled, you might
   be able to hail a cab to the airport in Los Angeles or Long Beach and catch a
   different flight. Look beyond airports too; you might give up on flying
   completely and hop on a train up north.

 * Book refundable travel: You may be able to book a refundable ticket if you're
   willing to pay extra. Otherwise, as long as you book a non-basic economy
   fare, you'll probably at least get a voucher to use on the airline toward
   another flight if you decide to change or cancel the flight due to itinerary
   changes.

 * Consider trip insurance: Travel insurance might help you get money back if a
   trip is canceled or delayed. It might also fund expenses incurred by delays,
   like an extra hotel room night. This can be helpful, say, if a hurricane
   prevents you from flying home from your Caribbean vacation, forcing you to
   book an additional night at your resort. Read the fine print, as many
   policies exclude delays caused by the airline.




CONSIDER BOOKING FLIGHTS WITH A CARD THAT INCLUDES TRAVEL INSURANCE

Some credit cards offer complimentary travel insurance benefits. Booking your
flight using such a card can ensure that you'll be covered in case of
cancellation or delay.

Cards with travel insurance benefits
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
NerdWallet Rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula
takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or
balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Apply now

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Reserve®
NerdWallet Rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula
takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or
balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Apply now

on Chase's website

The Platinum Card® from American Express
NerdWallet Rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula
takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or
balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
NerdWallet Rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula
takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or
balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Apply now

on Chase's website

Annual fee

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

$95
$550
$695
$95
Travel protections (not a comprehensive list)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum
benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum
benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Travel accident: Up to $500,000.

• Rental car insurance: Up to $75,000.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum
benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum
benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Travel accident: Up to $1 million.

• Rental car insurance: Up to the actual cash value of the car.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per trip for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per
12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per
12-month period.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Travel accident: Up to $500,000.

• Rental car insurance: Up to $75,000.

Terms apply.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per
12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per
12-month period.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Travel accident: Up to $500,000.

• Rental car insurance: Up to the actual cash value of the car.

Learn more

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read Review

Read Review

Read Review

Read Review




WHY ARE SO MANY FLIGHTS BEING CANCELED?

There are several reasons why there's been an uptick in flights being canceled,
and there’s currently a lot of finger-pointing, too.

Contributing factors include:

 * Airline issues, like not having enough staff. Mechanical issues and delays
   may be compounded by staffing shortages.

 * The Federal Aviation Administration is also experiencing staffing issues.
   While a shortage isn’t to blame, the agency is still managing backups in
   training new air traffic controllers quickly enough. National Aviation System
   delays, such as heavy traffic volume or air traffic control challenges,
   account for about 5% of delays.

 * Weather. This issue is minor; weather delays have accounted for less than 1%
   of late arrivals so far this year.

 * Increased travel demand. If one aircraft previously flew two flights a day
   with a six-hour buffer between flights, the second flight wouldn’t be
   impacted, even if the first flight was delayed three hours. Now, if that same
   aircraft has increased its flight numbers to three a day with less downtime,
   even a short delay can severely impact future flights.


HOW TO BOOK BETTER FLIGHTS

On-time arrival rates haven’t been this bad since 2014. Unless you’ve got a
crystal ball, there’s no way to guarantee you won’t book a flight that gets
delayed. But even without one, a thoughtful booking strategy can better ensure
you get to your destination on schedule.

In general, avoid layovers. Book the earliest flight in the day. And of course,
book the airlines that have the best track record of on-time performance (or
otherwise book with larger airlines that run multiple flights per day).

To view rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, see this
page.


AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL INSURANCE DISCLOSURES

Insurance Benefit: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

 * The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
   is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive
   month period.

 * Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and
   Limitations Apply.

 * Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

 * Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Insurance Benefit: Trip Delay Insurance

 * Up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2
   claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

 * Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and
   Limitations Apply.

 * Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

 * Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Insurance Benefit: Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance

 * Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for
   theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to
   reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the
   collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car
   Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include
   liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic
   restrictions apply.

 * Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and
   Limitations Apply.

 * Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

 * Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is
   offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR REWARDS

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are
our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:

 * Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred®
   Card

 * No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

 * Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card 

 * Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

 * Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

 * Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

About the authors
Sally French
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new
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Keep up with your favorite financial topics on NerdWallet.
Sally French is a travel rewards expert who joined NerdWallet in 2020. She
previously wrote about travel and credit cards for The New York Times and its
sibling site, Wirecutter. She also has worked for MarketWatch and The Orange
County Register. She loves fitness, and her travels have included cycling up the
coastline of Vietnam and over the sea ice in the Arctic Circle. Sally studied
journalism at the University of Missouri. Twitter: @SAFmedia. Read more

Meghan Coyle
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Meghan is a travel editor at NerdWallet. Her work has appeared in The Washington
Post, NPR, ESPN, Southern California Public Radio and KCRW. Read more

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Apply now

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

5.0
NerdWallet Rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula
takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or
balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Rewards rate

1x-5x
5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming
services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other
purchases.

Points

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Intro offer

75,000
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3
months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase
Travel℠.

Points
Apply now

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

5.0
NerdWallet Rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula
takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or
balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Rewards rate

1.5%-5%
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on
drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible
delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Intro offer

Up to $300
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent
in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

4.7
NerdWallet Rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula
takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or
balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.
Rewards rate

2x-5x
Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels
and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital
One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Intro offer

75,000
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within
3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
See more travel cards
Dive even deeper in Travel


A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO TRAVELING ON POINTS AND MILES

by Elina Geller, Sam Kemmis
Ready to get started with points and miles? Here's what you need to know.

Read more


HOW TO PICK YOUR FIRST TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARD

by Sara Rathner
Seek straightforward rewards. Flexibility is ideal for bargain hunters, and
perks work for airline/hotel loyalists.

Read more


POINTS & MILES 101: NERDWALLET’S QUICK START GUIDE

by Meg Lee
Diving into the world of travel rewards can seem daunting. We've got you
covered.

Read more

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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