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By Jaryn Vecchio

Making Flight

How to increase chances of getting on a flight as cancelations continue to pop up

Dec 22, 2022 | 1:02 PM

Are you concerned your flight for the holidays is going to be canceled?

Cancelations have been popping up left and right over the past couple of days, mostly in Vancouver and Toronto due to poor weather.

Mike Bayda, the owner of Lobstick Travel in Prince Albert, shared some tips to better your chance of flying out for Christmas or New Year’s Eve.

The first thing everyone should do is check in as soon as possible. Some airlines overbook, meaning those who wait to check in at the last second may not be able to get a seat.

Bayda said people should also always show up at the airport early.

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“Do not push it, you should be at the airport at least two hours prior even if you’re web-checked in.”

He believes this should be the case for everyone, even if there’s a possibility of a flight being delayed or canceled. If this does happen, you will be in the right place to try and change your flight to ensure you can fly out as quickly as possible.

Another way to better your chances of being on a flight is to book on two different airlines. Bayda explained he has two clients who booked one flight on Dec. 23 and another on Dec. 25.

“If the (flight) on the 23^rd pans out, they’ll bail on the (Christmas flight) and get a refund,” he said.

If possible, you should try and get a flight early in the morning. According to Bayda, this limits the chance of staff shortages which are usually caused by overworked employees.

He also noted booking flights through a travel agent is also beneficial as you’ll have somebody working on resolving your issues for you.

Meanwhile, the best advice Bayda has for flyers is simply to try not to panic.

“Until it’s a problem, how do you deal with that? You’ll go crazy,” he joked. “Plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow