08/05/2026
✈️ WHEN YOUR FLIGHT GETS CANCELLED: THINK LIKE A STANDBY TRAVELLER
With the recent WestJet disruption leaving travellers scrambling, we wanted to share…
What can regular travellers learn from people who fly standby? Quite a lot. 👇
🛡️ 1. INSURE THE WHOLE TRIP.
Look at medical, trip cancellation/interruption, baggage and travel-delay coverage. And check the fine print—strikes aren’t automatically covered by every policy.
💰 2. HAVE AN “EMERGENCY TRAVEL FUND.”
It’s a vacation. What emergency could possibly happen? Well…THIS. 😅
You may need to pay for extra hotels, meals or transportation upfront, even if you might eventually be reimbursed.
🗓️ 3. BUILD A BUFFER INTO YOUR SCHEDULE.
Flying home late at night and going straight to work the next morning?
Yep. Been there. Done that. 😂
If you can, give yourself at least a day of breathing room. Your body needs time to recover from travel too.
🍿 4. PACK FOR A “STRANDED AT THE AIRPORT” DAY.
Think about what you and your family would need if you suddenly had to spend 12–24 hours at the airport.
Snacks. Chargers. Entertainment. And that emergency fund.
🎒 5. KEEP ESSENTIALS IN YOUR CARRY-ON.
Spare clothes. Medication. Toiletries. Important documents. Anything you absolutely can’t be without.
If you can’t access your checked luggage, you’ll be glad you did.
📱 6. STAY IN THE LOOP.
Check your email. Check the airline app. Check the airline’s website. Turn on notifications if you can.
Being informed can lessen the burden when things are already stressful.
🗺️ 7. HAVE A PLAN B, C, D… E & F.
Think like a standby traveller.
You’re optimistic that Plan A will work. You’re hoping you’ll make that first flight.
But you already know what you’ll do if it doesn’t. Look at alternate flights, connections, nearby airports and different ways of getting to your destination.
Hope for Plan A. Be prepared for Plan B, C, D… E & F. ✈️
🛋️ 8. BE PREPARED FOR THE UNGLAMOROUS OPTION.
Can’t find a hotel?
Sometimes you may have to spend the night at the airport.
A jacket, scarf or sweater that can double as a pillow suddenly becomes VERY useful.
Airport camping. ✈️
🤝 9. PACK YOUR PATIENCE & ADAPTABILITY.
Your rebooked flight might not be as ideal as the one you originally booked.
Maybe it has three flight legs instead of two. Maybe the connection is longer. Maybe you’re arriving at a different time than you hoped.
But sometimes, given the circumstances, that’s the best option available.
Be flexible. Take a breath. Adjust the plan and take it in stride.
Getting there differently is still getting there. ✈️
❤️ 10. CHANGE THE MINDSET: ORDEAL → ADVENTURE.
Sometimes travel doesn’t go according to plan.
You can fight the situation—or accept that today’s adventure just wasn’t the one you planned.
Because sometimes the difference between an ordeal and an adventure is your attitude.
And who knows? The story you didn’t plan might end up being the one you remember most. 🌎✈️
Save this for your next trip—and hopefully you’ll never need all 10! 😉✈️
