7 On Your Side: Flight canceled? Best tips to get re-booked or refunded
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The skies weren't so friendly to travelers this past weekend, with nearly 6,000 flights canceled, largely due to weather.
But left behind in the slipstream were some angry passengers and some tough questions.
7 On Your Side's Nina Pineda got some insider tips on how to get re-scheduled, re-booked or refunded.
"It was just ridiculous," Amanda Oscasio said.
A birthday dream trip to Cancun turned into a nightmare for Amanda and Catalino Ocasio.
"Atrocious," he said, referring to JetBlue.
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The airline recently canceled hundreds of flights, and the couple had been trying to get to Newark from Mexico since April 2.
"We were stuck since Saturday," Catalino said.
"We walked in the door at midnight last night," Amanda said.
They were put up in three separate hotels for three nights.
JetBlue and other airlines blamed severe weather and air traffic control delays on the travel mess. Scott Keyes, with Scott's Cheap Flights says you are entitled to get your money back for canceled domestic flights.
"When an airline either cancels or significantly changes your flight, you're entitled to a full cash refund if you would like one," Keyes said. "You don't need to have bought insurance as long as you're flying from or to a U.S. airport."
If you are canceled internationally, check to see if your credit card will reimburse you.
"Take whatever credit card you use and go ahead and Google real quickly your credit card and travel protection," Keyes said. "See what sort of protections you automatically get."
His advice if you're at the airport and your flight is delayed or canceled, get in line and on the phone simultaneously.
"While I'm walking to that line, I'm call the airline," Keyes said. "And knowing that look, if I'm person 30, I may actually get through to a phone agent faster."
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An inside tip is to avoid calling the main airline number and instead find an international office number.
"The reason why is that the international office often times have very short queues," Keyes said. "Because very few people are thinking to call American Airlines London office, their Canada office."
Next, be proactive: Research alternate flights even on a different airline and request that flight specifically.
"Often times if you just come proactively with the flight you'd like to be put on, they'll be able to accommodate you," Keyes said.
The Ocasios were issued $300 apiece, a total of $600 in JetBlue credits. They're still trying to get paid back for their out of pocket incidentals.
Another tip is that if you're delayed, keep all receipts. That'll give you a better shot of getting reimbursed.
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