When you’re ready to plan your vacation, it’s supposed to be a fun time, but like many of us, you’re probably going to worry at one point.   You technically can’t enjoy your vacation until you’re on that plane and landing in your destination.

If you’re wondering what kind of delays or problems that you may encounter when you come across flying, I wanted to point out a few that you should look out for.  Keep in mind that no matter what happens, the airline will more than likely book you for another flight, or even compensate you for food and hotels.

• #1 Gate changes: This really isn’t a major problem but always make sure you double check your gate when you get to the airport.  You never want to follow what your ticket says, as the gate can change at any time.  When you get into terminals, just check the TVs for more details.
• #2 Weather: This is something we can’t prevent.  Whether it’s the snow, rain, or just high winds, your flight may be delayed for a few hours, or even canceled for a few days.  This is a hard one to predict, as even the weathermen can’t even get the weather right!
• #3 No reason: You may show up at the gate and find out that the flight is canceled for no reason.   This could be because of pilot issues, airplane issues, or something else.  Generally, they are going to be very vague with this, so you usually won’t get a detailed response.
• #4 Luggage issues: This one isn’t going to cancel your flight, but rather cause you more of a headache.  You may find that when you take your carry on luggage on board, it may be too big, or they may not have enough room.  If they find that your luggage is an issue, you will have to go through the process of checking it in.
• #5 Passenger problem: I have seen this before where there has been an unruly passenger on board before the flight even takes off.  While this is fairly rare, you’re going to find that it may happen.  The airline will have to call the police and wait for the passenger to leave if they don’t go on their own.

Flight problems don’t happen as often as you think.  If they do happen, it can be stressful, but the airlines try their best to compensate your for your times.  If you ever find that you’re unsatisfied with your experience, I would recommend that you write them a letter for bonus frequent flyer miles, or some other type of reward.