Flight delays are annoying, but did you know they collectively have a major financial impact on both airline companies and consumers?
An estimated amount of 8 billion dollars have been spent by the airline industry to recover flight delay costs in 2015. Passengers were also affected as they had to pay an estimated 17 billion dollars due to flight delay expenses. The estimated airline delay cost stood at $65.43 per minute. This is the shocking airline delay data for 2015. In comparison to 2014, it decreased by 14%.
Let’s look at what measures airlines are taking to cut down on these issues:-
Weather Waivers
Every airline issues a weather waiver in situations when climate disruption is eminent. Affected passengers can then make a change in their schedules at no cost. This allows passengers to be spared from uncertain flight times and long rebooking lines. Such waivers even let passengers cancel their trip and get refunds, or move their travel a few days up or down.
Airlines now acknowledge flight disruptions due to weather problems in advance, ensuring the flight goes smooth.
Compensations
Compensations in Canada vary with airlines. Remittances for delays vary from meal vouchers, hotel accommodations to drink and snacks on the plane. Some airlines even provide travel vouchers.
For example, passengers flying on WestJet are offered a meal voucher for a three-hour delay or a meal and hotel voucher for a delay extending eight hours or more.
While onboard a WestJet aircraft, drinks and snacks are available to passengers waiting for more than 90 minutes. Passengers are also allowed to disembark a delayed plane after 90 minutes.
However, there is no legislation in Canada that mandates airlines or travel agencies to provide any of these incentives in case of a delay.
Apps
Airlines in Canada are connected with many personalized apps to track their airplanes. Flight View, Just Landed, Flight Stats, iFly Pro, Flightradar24 Pro, FlightBoard and FlightTrack 5 can be your best friend in these situations. After the introduction of such apps, airlines have brought significant reduction in calls to airline help-desks.
Financial Benefits
Airlines are increasingly coming up with excellent incentive options. Letting passengers change their routes themselves, allows the airline staff to do other work.
Airlines are increasingly striving to build customer confidence and convenience. Furthermore, delays also increase costs with the additional ground staff and extra gates that needs to be opened, imposing charges in form of wages, goodwill and lost productivity.
So, when your flight is delayed, relax. It’s not as bad as it used to, because now you likely have options. Instead, use the extra time to be productive, like booking an airport limo for your ride back home.