TIPS FOR NAVIGATING an INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - for airports with separate domestic & international airports
You may have heard that airlines have recently cancelled some flights or made very last-minute schedule changes. Even though I am willing to help, your best bet is:
1-If your flight is rescheduled with such short notice that you can't make the flight - go ahead to the airport since you would be most likely to be on your way. Go straight to the international airport since you will be travelling internationally. You may be able to get to the international airport from the domestic airport (the one you usually go to), but it could be very problematic, especially now. Park in the parking deck and go into the terminal. Go to the customer service desk and speak to one of their agents who can look online live at the flights that are available. Present your documents - printed is best- and let them try to rebook you. If you try to call the airline or if your travel agent tries to call, the wait time for could be 1 - 3 hours, so even if the line is long, wait in line and speak to the agent. If the line is really long, you can have your spouse or a friend call the airline. (Make sure you have that toll free number in your smartphone before you leave your home.) If he or she gets to speak to an agent before you get to speak to the live person there at the airport, do not get out of line. The airline representative on the phone may have to transfer him or her to a different department, and that could take a while. And by staying in the customer service line, you may be helped quicker.
The parking deck may cost more than what you had planned on doing, but to get straight to the international terminal will benefit you in the long run. If you have booked a hotel for the night before your flight, I highly suggest you take a taxi directly to the international terminal rather than taking the hotel shuttle. Again, the time you save will be well worth the cost of the taxi. When we went to Costa Rica recently, we were at the domestic airport almost 3 and 1/2 hours ahead, and we only had about 20 minutes to spare at the gate. The lines at the domestic airport are increditably long, and now you have to use a kiosk to print your own baggage tags that go on the luggage you are checking. Then, you will have to get in an even longer line to see a desk clerk. Some of them refer you to go to another line. If you insist on going through this at the domestic airport, do not go to another line. Explain very nicely but firmly, that you will likely miss your flight if you change lines. Also, if your flight was changed or cancelled, you have that to tell them.
\2- If your flight has been cancelled and you are on the way to the airport, follow what I said in #1 above. If you are on the way to the airport when you find out about the cancellation, whoever isn't driving should call the airline toll free number. Travel agents will of course try to help you, and can call, but this could be the situation where they can only get some of you on the flight and the others on another flight. By the time they can communicate with you, it may be too late. Remember that if your flight was cancelled, there are many others who were going to be on the same flight, and they will also be trying to get their flights rescheduled. You can make a quick decision about what they can offer you more so than waiting for the travel agent to try to reach out to you and ask you what you think.
3- The same thing is true for your return flights. Go to terminal, the airline's customer help desk, and do the same as up above.
4- If any of this happens, keep copies of all receipts you may have to spend money on such as a hotel, meals, transfers etc. if you can't get rebooked on the day of travel.
5- File your expenses with your Travel Insurance company.
YOU DID GET TRAVEL INSURANCE, RIGHT?