PeterWith the world almost returning to normalcy, the tourism sector is once again back in brisk business. Tourists in desperate need of well-deserved breaks are out in full force booking flights and hotels. Countries around the world certainly welcome this new development, as they roll out the welcome mats by shedding stringent Covid-19 precautionary measures and rules.
However, as travellers are eager to explore the world again, flight overbookings and overwhelmed airlines have recently led to a number of cancellations. Confused travellers stranded at airports are fast becoming a common phenomenon, particularly at popular travel destinations.
In a situation like this, the best way to minimize the risks of flight cancellations is by booking your flight ticket from a travel app. Travel apps can not only help make booking and hunting for the best travel deals more convenient, they can also cut down on the risks of flight cancellations.
Travellers get to book cheap flight tickets well ahead of time
The most beneficial feature of booking flight tickets through travel apps is that these apps provide travellers with the cheapest and the best booking deals. Budget travellers especially would benefit from booking through apps as these apps typically run promos that make finding cheap flights and accommodations easier. Some travel apps even come with alerts that will notify users when there’s a price drop for a particular route or certain airlines are running special app-only discounts.
These travel apps not only save the passengers from spending extra money on their travel expenses, but also time and flexibility as the bookings can be made entirely online by the passengers themselves. Pre-booking flight tickets may also minimize the risk of last-minute bookings that might result in flight cancellation.
Travellers get to browse for flexible tickets
Airlines generally have flexi-tickets or flexible booking options, which give you protection in case your flight is cancelled or rescheduled, without any penalty charges. They are slightly more expensive than economy seats, but come with added advantages such as more baggage allowance and a full ticket refund, enabling you to change travel dates with no extra cost.
It is advisable to book flexible tickets in case you cannot catch your intended flight due to unforeseen circumstances, especially in times of uncertainty like today. Flexible booking options allow you to make changes to your flight, be it the departure time or date. This type of booking is ideal if you need to prepone or postpone flights. Not all airlines offer flexible booking options. It depends on the fare rules of the airline. If the rules stipulate that it is possible to make changes to the flight booking, you can go ahead and do so.
Moreover, to minimise any type of loss, you can add cancellation protection to your flexible booking option (if available) to be eligible for a full refund for emergency circumstances. By simply paying a little extra money, you will be able to fully protect your money even if you reschedule your flight.
Travellers can quickly check the airlines’ cancellation policies
Most airlines have cancellation policies which allow for a full refund of their flight tickets in case the flight gets cancelled. The cancellation policy varies for different airlines. The list of eligible reasons that can be considered for a refund in most cases include:
- Demise of the passenger or a close family friend
- Weather adversity
- Court summons and jury duty
- Travel ban by government
- Illness or injury
- Medical condition (pre existing that prevents the passenger from flying)
- Failure in the airlines’ operations
- Theft of ticket
When booking through travel apps, all information about the airline can be easily accessed in one place. Travellers can even compare multiple airlines’ policies within one app.
They can look up which airlines have the most flexible policy. With some airlines, travellers can easily get a refund even if the flight is not cancelled. Hence, travel apps mainly allow travellers to become aware of their cancellation rights and shop around for the best options.
Spend a bit more and get travel insurance
Another advantage of booking from travel apps is that some apps allow you to add travel insurance along with your flight bookings. By purchasing travel insurance, you can protect yourself against risks such as medical, cancellation, and baggage costs.
Moreover, if you have travel insurance, you may also be eligible to get your money back in full if a trip is cancelled or delayed on top of the airline’s own refund policy. Apart from this, travel insurance will also fund expenses incurred by delays, like an extra hotel room for the night.
