Let’s say that you just had a flight that was just awful.  You either had to wait a few hours, or maybe your flight was canceled.  A question that I hear pop up a lot is, “How can I get compensation on my flight?”

It’s a great question and I dug deeper into the issue to find out how other travelers get compensation from their flights.  Its going to be a tough task, but if you try hard enough, you’re going to find that you can get things the way you want it if you don’t give up!

99% of the time, you won’t get a refund

What you’re going to find out is that airlines will never give you a refund.  Instead, they are going to give you vouchers that are worth what you paid in the first place.  Is it a good deal?  Sure, its better than nothing, but what you’re going to find out is that if you want to get compensated in cash, it’s going to be very, very hard.

How can I start the compensation process?

The first thing that you’re going to want to do is start by writing a certified letter.  Don’t write an email or call up customer support.  You’re going to want to write  letter and  send it through the mail.  You will want to make sure that its certified so that you know that they are getting it.

Once you get the address for the airline’s customer service department, you’re going to want to document your trip.  What exactly happened?  Why do you deserve some sort of refund?  You will want to include your flight number, the time/date, the situation, who you dealt with, etc.

What situations are going to give me the best chances with compensation?

Generally, those that have delayed flights, an airline problem, or potentially a customer service issue such as a rough flight or bad experiences.  These call all lead to some sort of benefit.  It’s all going to narrow down to the airline and who you’re working with, since they all deal with customers in different ways.

What you’re going to want to do is make sure that you’re nice.  You don’t want to threaten them because they don’t care.  I’ve found with stories online that people that deal in a humane way get what they want.  You don’t want to demand anything, nor do you want to tell them that you will never fly again.

Instead, voice your complaint, tell them how you love their airline, and just let them know that the experience was a bummer for you.  Just by doing this, you’re going to increase your chances at landing a refund or future airline voucher.

While traveling as a Senior, you’re not going to want to let your age effect you while attending the airport.  Just because you’re getting older, it doesn’t mean that thing are going to have to be harder.

Yes, while you may forget about a few things, or maybe you simply want to know a little bit more about what you should know, I wanted to provide you with some tips that you can use when you head on down to the airport.

Ask for that discount

Before you even start your airport journey, ask the airlines if you can get a senior discount.  Many of the major airline carriers today will give you a great senior discount that you can take advantage of.  You may not be able to get this if you book online.

You will want to be comfortable

If you haven’t flown that often, you’re going to know where you should sit on an airplane.  There are many seats that you consider that will make you more comfortable.  The cool thing about the Internet is that you can pick your seat out online.  In my opinion, the best seat will more than likely be either the aisle seat for easy access, or the very front row for the leg room space.

Get help at the airport

Whether you need a wheelchair, or maybe you’re going to need help with your luggage, try to find a porter at the front door that’s going to be able to help you out.  Most of them are going to be able to transport you throughout the airport.

Never check in your medications

If you lose your luggage, you’re going to have a hard time getting those medications back.  You may be without them for a few days, if not more.  It’s always important that you carry your medications in your checked in bags.   This way, you’re going to know where they are at all times.

Take advantage of pre-boarding

Most airlines out there are going to allow you to pre-board the airline.  What you can do is hop on the airline before everyone else.  This is going to allow you to get comfortable, as well as situated.  You’re also not going to have to deal with everyone else getting in your way.

If you can travel with a companion, that would be great.  If not, you  may want to just talk with the airline ahead of time to know the policies.  The more you know, the more comfortable you’re going to be!

There is going to be a time when you’re going to have to fly with your younger child.  Sure, not all of us are going to have to, but you may have no choice.  You never know if you want to go on vacation, have to attend to a family emergency, etc.

No matter what the situation is, you’re going to find that each airline is going to have its own policy, when it comes down to ticketing an infant.  I will give you some tips that you can follow, so that you will know how much you may have to pay.

Any infant under the age of 2 will always have to fly with an accompanying adult.  Sadly, there are people out there that just want to fly out their 2 year old child without any adult supervision!

Most airlines are only going to allow you to bring 2 infants per adult.  This means that if you’re only 1 adult, and you’re flying 3 infants, you’re going to get denied.

For most airlines, if your child is under the age of 2 and he/she can fit on your lap, they are not going to charge you for the seat.  Once the child reaches 2+, you’re going to find that most airlines are going to charge you.  Again, this is going to vary across the airlines.  Its always best to check out the official website, or call up a customer service rep for more information.

As for documentation and other related material, many airlines have their own policy where you may have to show birth certificates, etc to prove that its your legal child, or if you’re flying with someone else, you will have to get authorization.

Again, every airline is going to be different.  What I have found is that you can generally have 1 infant per adult.  You will never be able to sit 2 infants on your lap, as there probably won’t be much room and the person next to you probably won’t like it that much.

How much is an infant airline ticket?

Since you’re going to be taking up a seat, the airlines don’t care if you’re 3 or 55.  The seat is going to be taken up by a human being.  With that being said, you’re going to have to pay the regular rates.

To address any issues, contact the customer service department regarding your tickets.   You will want to avoid any hassle that you come across once you reach the gate.

Lately, I’ve been finding some great questions pop up on the Internet and this week, I had a question arrive in my mailbox asking me the following question.

I’m about to purchase my airline tickets but I have no idea where my frequent flyer number is!  How the heck can I find it?  Thanks!

Well, I had have this happen before and there’s no worry because you’re going to find that you can get it in no time.

Before we start, you’re going to need the following in order to get on the right path…

• Your name
• Address
• Date of Birth

Some may require some other information such as your social security number, credit card number, etc for verification purposes when you first signed up for the card.

Call up the airlines

I’m hoping that you know which airlines you’re apart of.  What you’re going to want to do is call up the customer service line and explain your situation.  Since you don’t have your card or your number, you can give them all the information that you need.

By doing this, they will provide you with a number that you can use for your future purchases.  If you lost your card, they can replace it with a new one, as well as an account number, just in case some fraudulent use happens.

I just had a flight but didn’t use my card!

Most airlines will credit you for the flight when you provide them with your itinerary information, as well as your frequent flyer card number.  Once you get your card back, you can tell them your itinerary number, name, as well as any other information snippets they need.  As long as you save that piece of paper, you will be fine.

To prevent losing it in the future, you can do what I do and that is save the number on a notepad file on my computer.  This helps just in case I do lose my card again.  Some airlines will also allow you to store your numbers on an account online!

Credit: flickr

There are a lot of airports located around the World and whether you’re just curious on what airports handle the most traffic, or maybe you’re wondering if you’re going to be heading to one of these airports soon, I wanted to give you a list of the 7 busiest airports in the World today.

#1 Hartsfield-Jackson located in Atlanta, Georgia saw over 88 million passengers back in 2009, making it the busiest airport in the United States.  One of the main reasons they are so busy is because they home to a few major airport’s hubs.

#2 London Heathrow located in the Greater London area in the United Kingdom saw over 66 million people, making it the second busiest.  This is a major hub for those stopping during International flights.

#3 Beijing Capital International in Beijing, China seeing over 65 million passengers.

#4 O’Hare International airport located in Chicago, Illinois saw 64 million people in 2009, making them the 4th busiest.   In 2008, they were the #2 in terms of the busiest.

#5 Tokyo International Airport located in Tokyo, Japan.  This airport had over 61 million in 09.

#6 Paris Charles de Gaulle located in France had close to 58 million passengers, making it the sixth busiest airport.

#7 Los Angeles International airport or aka LAX based in Los Angeles, California had over 56 million people in 2009.  In 2008, they had 59 million.  This 3 million difference made them drop just one spot.

#8 Dallas Fort Worth located in Dallas/Ft Worth Texas had over 56 million people.    They only saw 400,000 less than LAX.

#9 Frankfurt Airport located in Frankfurt, Germany had close to 51 million passengers in 2009, making them the busiest airport in Germany.

#10 Denver International Airport located in Denver, Colorado had over 50 million passengers in 2009.   This is 1 million less than they had back in 2008.

Rounding off the following 7 are as follows…

• #11 Madrid-Barajas Airport: 48 million
• #12 John F. Kennedy Airport: 46 million
• #13 Hong Kong International: 45 million
• #14 Amsterdam Airport: 43 million
• #15 Dubai International: 41 million
• #16 Suvarnabhumi Airport: 40 million
• #17 McCarran International: 40 million

In the top 10, 5 of those 10 are based in the United States.  Out of those 10, they tend to change positions year after year.  For example, in 2008, O’Hare was ranked #2.  Hartsfield has remained a #1 contender since 1999, blowing away the #2 airport by almost 10, or even 20 million!