Whether you forgot your Yellow Fever certificate or the fact that planes don’t land in Aspen during a blizzard, changing travel plans can be costly both emotionally and financially. But when weather or simple misfortune has other plans for you there is an art to un-planning a vacation from flight to hotels and even restaurants to avoid fees and forfeitures.
First, skip the credits and vouchers and insist on a refund from the airline if your flight was in fact canceled. If it’s on you and your ticket is in fact non-refundable, aim for a credit and temper your expectations. While contrary to your feelings in the moment, rebooking is best done with a clear head at home. As for your hotel, most companies can and will keep your first-night deposit if not canceled by 6pm on your day of arrival. Believe it or not, chains tend to be kinder than smaller boutique properties. Always call the front desk and not central reservations if looking for an exception and if your flight maybe delayed - consider canceling the reservation altogether and simply showing-up to the hotel if you indeed make it. Unless it’s over a holiday, they’ll likely still have your room. Costlier ski hotels and bookings over holidays require a bit more gravitas and most likely a manger to waive penalties, in such situations kindness goes a long way or even negotiating a hotel credit for later booking.
Restaurants that secure bookings with credit cards tend to be a tougher prospect, if your own attempts fail try leaning on the hotel concierge to make the call or rebook sometime in the future. Tokyo and Paris booking tend to have the toughest policies while the US and UK offer a bit more leeway. And for those that refer to the will of God or that a trip was simply not meant to be, please keep comments to yourself and let us mourn the loss of our vacation at least until we rebook.
