Travelling in a Time of War

Hi Scott,

With all the recent flight disruptions in the Middle East, I’ve realised how messy things get when something goes wrong. I booked through a third-party site, and now neither they nor the airline want to talk to me unless my flight is actually cancelled. Meanwhile, people who’ve had flights disrupted are being bounced back and forth between airlines, booking platforms and insurers. It’s made me wonder whether we’re taking more financial risk than we realise when we book flights. Is it better to book directly with the airline? Are flexible fares worth the extra money? And how do you protect yourself from losing thousands if things go sideways?

Bill

Hi Bill,

Yes, it’s a hell of a mess at the moment.

Here are three tips to make sure you don’t end up playing a prolonged game of call centre bingo.

First, don’t cancel your flight. Ever. Make the airline do it, or you hand away every right you have.

Second, book direct with the airline wherever you can. If the trip is more complicated, a good travel agent can help sort things out when it all goes sideways. But avoid the cheap third-party booking sites. That’s where people end up stuck in the great ‘not our problem’ loop.

Third, flexible fares are worth the extra money. Cheap flights are expensive when things go wrong. That's why these days I avoid the star jump deals on Onestar (Jetstar).

Finally, stop assuming your travel insurance will save you. Most policies exclude war and civil unrest. Read the terms and conditions before you buy it, not after your flight gets scrapped.