Picture this: you’ve scrimped and saved for years for that dream trip to Antarctica, only to miss the cruise because of a missing bag! That’s precisely what happened to Valerie Coleshaw. Due to full overhead bins, she had to check her bag, which contained her prescriptions and paperwork for the cruise. The bag didn’t make it to her next destination, and her entire trip was canceled. Talk about a brrrr-oken heart!
We’ve all read stories about travel mishaps. Passengers stuck for 24 hours in airports due to severe weather, airline strikes, or systems going offline. Evacuations due to civil unrest or having to hunker down during a hurricane. Travel usually goes smoothly, but when it doesn’t, what can you do? How can you keep anxiety and stress from making things worse?
Stay Calm… and Call Your Travel Agent!
Travel is stressful enough when things go smoothly. Being jetlagged or hungry doesn’t help when things are going wrong. Take a couple of deep breaths to lower your anxiety and stress. Do this before speaking to a representative. Someone is more likely to help you if you’re calm and not breathing fire.
If you’ve booked your flights, hotels, tours, or cruises through a travel agency like Butler Travel, call them. While they don’t have a magic wand (or do they?), they can help with rebooking or providing options that airlines or hotels might not offer. They can also give you suggestions on what steps to take next.
Plan for the Worst: Get Travel Insurance
Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This applies to travel as well. If you’re planning a big trip, get trip insurance. Delays are covered by trip insurance, as well as lost luggage. While it costs extra, it’s worth avoiding the alternative of losing your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Antarctica.
Document Everything
When things go wrong, it’s crucial to document everything. If the airline is at fault, make sure you get all the details. AirHelp is a third-party organization that can help get compensation for EU-related delays. You’ll also need documentation to get money back from your trip insurance. This is especially important if you have a cancellation due to medical issues. Think of it as your travel journal of doom—just more useful.
Always Carry the Important Stuff
After hearing a story about lost bags on the way to an expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Lorelei Dennis decided to bring her hiking shoes and socks on the plane with her in case her bags were lost. Sadly, her bags were lost, but she was still able to enjoy the trip because she had her shoes. Lesson learned: always have your money, important documents, medicine, an extra pair of underwear or a change of clothes, and devices with you. If you’re going on a trip that requires special equipment or gear, carry that on the plane if possible. If your equipment is expensive and needs to be checked, make sure it’s insured in case of damage or loss.
Be Flexible and Ready to Pivot
Sometimes the stars don’t align, and everything seems to go wrong. You missed the cruise by an hour because of flight delays. Your trip to the beach is canceled due to a hurricane. A tour is postponed due to unrest in a country. Things happen. Be ready to pivot. You already have the time off or might already be in a nice location. Can you explore the area you’re stuck in? Can you take a flight to a different location?
Make It a Game
One’s attitude can turn a bad situation into a bearable one. Find ways to make your delay or travel mishap into a game. This is especially important if you’re traveling with kids. Here are some ways you can make it a game:
Photo Scavenger Hunt: Make a list of things to find and photograph around the airport or station, such as a specific restaurant, a certain type of airplane, a unique piece of artwork, a specific item in a gift shop, a family with lots of luggage, someone napping, a dog in a carrier, or a person in a funny hat.
Storytelling Challenge: Take turns creating a story based on the people you see around you. Make up backgrounds, destinations, and reasons for their travels. The more creative, the better!
Word Association Game: Start with a travel-related word, and each person takes turns saying a related word. Continue until someone repeats a word or hesitates for too long.
Alphabet Game: Choose a category (e.g., countries, cities, foods) and take turns naming items in that category that start with each letter of the alphabet.
Memory Game: Take a look around and then take turns naming something you’ve seen. The next person must repeat what was said and add another item to the list. Continue until someone forgets an item.
Travel mishaps are never fun, but with a positive attitude and proper planning, you can turn them into opportunities for new adventures and memorable experiences. Who knows? You might even have a story to tell that’s cooler than Valerie’s Antarctic disaster!