Your bags are all packed, your tickets are booked, and you’re ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime! But then, something unexpected happens… your trip gets canceled. Now what?
Unfortunately, this kind of situation happens all too often, and people are unsure how to handle it. We’re here to tell you that there are some things that you can do in case your trip gets canceled. We know that having your trip canceled isn’t ideal, but knowing what to do next is important so that you can hopefully make the best of a bad situation. From dealing with flights to hotels and more – here are the best ways to handle common trip cancelation issues.
Dealing With Flight Cancellations
Finding out that your flight was canceled can be highly stressful. But instead of panicking, sit back, and consider your options. The first thing that you should do is see if you can change your flight and still get to your destination within a timely matter. If this isn’t possible with your chosen airline, you should see if you can get a refund and book a flight with another airline. And if both of these options aren’t possible, you may want to consider getting a refund and finding an alternate mode of transportation to get you to your destination.
Managing Hotel Cancellations
When booking a hotel reservation, you need to make sure that you know what you’re getting yourself into. Some hotels may offer better nightly rates, but a lot of the time, these cheaper nightly rates are nonrefundable. So if you are going to go with a nonrefundable rate, consider purchasing travel insurance too. If you book a stay at a hotel with a refundable rate, check how many days out you can cancel your reservation and still get your money back.
Handling Vacation Home Rental Cancellations
Vacation home rentals can be an excellent alternative to hotels, especially if you’ll be traveling with a group. And fortunately, many vacation rental companies (such as VRBO and Airbnb) have reasonable cancellation policies. Most of the time, vacation rental companies will allow you to cancel within 60 days of your reservation date and get a partial or full refund. But it’s important to check your vacation rental’s cancelation policy ahead of time so that you know what to expect.
Addressing Rental Car Cancellations
When booking a car rental for your vacation, always check the car rental company’s cancellation policy. Some car rental companies will give you a full refund if you cancel within 60 days of your trip, but some companies may only offer you some or none of your money back. So just check the cancellation policy ahead to know what you’re getting yourself into.
How to Protect Yourself From Losing Money
If you are worried that your trip may be canceled for some reason, consider doing some things ahead of time to protect yourself. One way to do this is to purchase travel insurance. This way, if your trip gets canceled, you can get some or all of your money back. Another way to protect yourself is to check the cancellation policies of your hotel or vacation home, car rental, and airline so that you know what to do in case your trip gets canceled.
Most importantly, if you are traveling internationally, ensure your passport is up to date. If you find that your passport isn’t up to date, you should apply for a new passport or passport renewal to avoid having to cancel your trip. Fortunately, our team of travel experts at Swift Passport and Visa Services has been processing expedited passports for years, and we’d be happy to help you get a passport in time for your travels. No matter where you’re going, we’ll get you there.
