My experience in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport flight delays/cancellations page that happened 7 months later – First stay at a Hotel in Denver, CO in early May 2009. I have traveled alone to Tucson, AZ for University of Arizona’s college interview.
Fact: Lots of young travelers (mostly 19 and 20-year-olds) did not know how to handle flight cancellations because they have not experience or have inexperience what they do next nor have adequate (backup) plans. There are lots of stressful situations that derail their decisions making whatever or not to stay at a hotel or to sleep at an airport for one night. I know that it was complicated to cope with flight cancellations that prevail them to survive without money, food, drink, and adequate bedding. Oh-no!
What will you do if…
- Your flight is delayed:
- You can:
- Calm down
- Drink water
- Take a walk around
- Call parents/friends for advice
- Be patient
- Take a deep breath and count 10, 15, 20 and so on
- Take a look at an outlet
- You cannot:
- Yell for attention
- Call 911
- Cry
- Say illegal words e.g. “Bombs”, “Terrorist”, “Hi Jack”, “Fire”, etc. at any circumstances
- Overreact like a baby/little kid
- You can:
- Your flight is cancelled:
- You can:
- Call parents for advice
- Drink water
- Take a deep breath
- Be patient. It’s not the end of the world.
- Ask airline personnel for advice
- Have a snack or a meal
- Also, you cannot:
- Tease or make fun at the airline personnel, “You’re a liar”, “You are fat”, “You are a ‘%#@^$'”
- Cry
- Say illegal words or phrases e.g. “I have met my friends who like to hijack.”
- Act like a kid
- Whine
- Curse
- Throw temper tantrum
- You can:
*Remember to act like a grown-up, not to act like a child or a toddler. People will have very weird thoughts.*
- Other possible things to do for your flight delays/cancellations:
- Here are your choices
- Read a book
- Listen to music
- Play with your phone/IPhone/smartphone/etc.
- Drink water
- Take a cruise at around at an airport or an outlet store
- Eat a snack or a meal if your time to start hungry
- Go to the restroom
- Write a story or a note
- Yarn
- Sleep
- Do puzzle, such as Sudoku
- Draw a picture
- Take pictures of planes*
- Study in general
- Play your computer if you have your laptop
- Ask airline personnel for an advice
- Call parents/friends/etc.
- Take a deep breath
- Play with little things e.g. silly putty, bracelet, etc.
- Play with stress/anxiety toys
- Here are your choices
*Be careful what pictures you took depending on circumstances; people generally don’t want to take pictures, purposely to know if you are a flight risk or a terrorist
Here was my scenario: My flight to Philadelphia was canceled due to a snowstorm. I have to wait for an hour to found my flight status, and I founded out that “all flights to Philadelphia were canceled.” I didn’t act up; however, I tried everything to survive when my US Airways airport agency came to me and told her that my flight to Philadelphia was canceled and gave me a hotel voucher for one night. Wow! 😍
Overacting with the situations can make people very uncomfortable and can get you in trouble.
Here is the story I showed their appropriate manners/behaviors when making a hotel when your flights were canceled. When in doubt, just ask.
When my flight to Philadelphia had canceled because of a snowstorm, the airline notified me five minutes later. Now, I took pride of deciding them out myself. I approached the customer airline service if she can assist me to rebook my earlier flight to Philadelphia the next day. Suddenly, she gave me a hotel voucher, which costs me around 35 dollars a day.*
*Subject to change depending on hotel’s locations and other circumstances
Despite this, the blue hotel coupon (voucher) will tell me to call the number to assign to the nearest hotel near Sky Harbor Airport (Phoenix, AZ). While I was waiting for a call to response, I called to my Arizona friends from the University of Arizona.
It took me five minutes when a customer service representative called me that they assigned me a nearest hotel: La Quinta Airport South. When in doubt, I asked an airport agency why am I waiting, I let an agency know that “I am waiting for a van to La Quinta Airport South, do you know where I am waiting?.”
He appreciatively responded “The van will be here just a minute, you can wait outside to pick you up.
“Thanks!”
My parents called me and were first worried that I might “sleep at an airport” that I could not believe that I had these experiences before unlike typical nineteen-year-olds. I was capable enough to know how to find a safe place to sleep for one night.
While I was talking to my parents, they felt astonished that I was like a “brightest girl.” They have finally amused themselves that I was being an exceptional girl that most nineteen-year-olds were a bit too young to handle airport cancellations on their own. They did not have the skills to survive at the airport nor what they do, which was a pretty worrisome.
Just then a van picks me up from the airport to the hotel, saying that “are you going to La Quinta Airport South.”
The driver gladly responded, “Yes, we are going to La Quinte Airport South” and appreciated that he drove me to 911 S. 48th Street, Mesa AZ, 85281 with two other passengers.
Upon arrival, there was a line of two people and was delighted that I got here. 5 minutes later, another man (believed to be 20s) did not know “how to make a reservation for one night, despite the fact that he had called a hotel reservation prior.” While I was confirming my hotel reservation, I asked the front desk if I had a reservation prior and she replied, “Yes, you have room for one night. The cost of one night is $66.13. How would you like to pay?”
“Cash of 80 dollars in 20 dollar-bills (4).”
“Thank you! Can you show me your picture ID?”
“Sure.”
When paying a room with cash, a front desk clerk may ask you for picture ID. Most hotels require to be at least twenty-one to book a room in Arizona.
I asked purposefully, “Do we have a safer room for younger women?”
“Sure we do. Let me check it for you.”
A front desk clerk was finding an available room on behalf, which took me seconds.
“You want your room on the second floor?”
“Yes, I do. I want my room on the second floor please.”
The reason why I wanted a middle floor and the safest room where women’s traveler are the more traditional is because lots of criminals and rapists tried to kidnap women especially traveling in groups since they are the most vulnerable.
Finally, a front desk clerk will give me a room assignment and a door key, and it is okay to ask how to get to the room. It was my second time when I book a room back in Denver on May 2009 (one month before High School graduation – University of Arizona Interview).
When I finished the final hotel confirmation, I recalled the hotel number, knowing it was located.
The front desk told me the room was located on the second floor and was two doors to the left when exiting elevators.
Since I favored cash payment (I don’t have a credit card), I asked the front desk clerk if I can pay the money. The hotels require showing photo ID if paying cash to prevent wire transfer and to access to a hotel room without showing proof of identity who’s who. The hotel needs to have a name to place who’s staying; who’s checking out.
I-Powers Travel - Tips, Tricks, and Stories 