Canceled flight? Lost baggage? Solutions for Boise Airport woes this July 4 weekend

Plenty of Idahoans are set to put aside their travel cost concerns and head to the airport for the Fourth of July weekend in the coming days, but flight delays and cancellations are already racking up across the country.

Over 13,500 flights in the United States have been delayed, and over 2,000 canceled, between Monday and Wednesday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Boise Airport has had 28 delayed and five canceled flights so far this week.

Although Boise Airport does not have any insight on airline scheduling or operations for this weekend, airport spokesperson Shawna Samuelson told the Idaho Statesman, it’s a safe bet that some flights will suffer a hiccup or two over the holiday weekend.

A delayed or canceled flight can seem like one of the biggest hindrances when you’re looking to enjoy a quick weekend away with friends and family, but it’s far from the only issue.

Overbooked flights, unexpected overnight stays and lost luggage are all potential weekend-ruiners, but you do have consumer protection rights. If you find yourself in a challenging situation at the airport this weekend, here are your rights as a customer and potential solutions to airport-related problems.

Your flight is delayed, canceled or you’ve been bumped

One of the most common problems at an airport is arriving just to find your flight has been delayed, canceled, or in some instances, that you’ve been bumped to a different flight.

Issues such as bad weather and air traffic delays are hard to predict for airlines; therefore, customers aren’t entitled to a refund or compensation for a delay, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The department does encourage customers to ask airline staff if the airline would pay for meals or a hotel room if a lengthy delay is expected.

Airlines must also provide passengers with information on a change in flight status at least seven days before the flight. Once you’re within the seven-day window, the only thing that will delay or cancel your flight is unforeseeable circumstances.

A sign indicates the status of the intrastate flight to Pullman at the Boise Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. The Boise Airport has a list of five destinations it is prioritizing for future routes, including Orlando, Honolulu, New York City-area airports, Boston and Anchorage, plus Idaho intrastate airports.

Alaska Airlines spokesperson Bobby Egan previously told the Idaho Statesman that the best thing a person can do before arriving at the airport is to “check the status of their flight before they head to the airport, and then if they need to make a change, do that online on the (airline) website.”

Boise Airport keeps a live tracker of flights on its website.

If your flight is canceled, most airlines will offer to re-book you on the next available flight, according to the Department of Transportation. If you choose not to re-book the flight, you will be entitled to compensation for the flight and any baggage fees you paid.

There is also the possibility that an airline will bump you to a different flight. Airlines often overschedule flights presuming that there will be no-shows. More often than not, the airline is correct, and no one is impacted, but sometimes the airline will have to bump passengers to a later flight.

Bumping is a legal practice, and passengers can voluntarily choose to be bumped for incentives such as a reduced rate ticket and even a free ticket. The airline can involuntarily bump passengers if no one volunteers and is required to offer compensation to the bumped passenger, according to the Department of Transportation.

Airlines must give a bumped passenger a written copy of their rights and explain why the carrier decided to bump someone. Passengers can also not be involuntarily bumped if they have already checked in for their flight or have already had their boarding pass accepted by a gate agent.

Your luggage is lost, delayed or damaged

Under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, airlines must compensate passengers if their baggage is lost, delayed or damaged.

Airlines are responsible for negotiating a compensation fee for damaged baggage, while lost or delayed baggage also falls under the airlines’ responsibility to find. Any missing or delayed baggage should be filed under a baggage claim with the airline.

Airlines cannot set an arbitrary daily amount for however long your baggage is lost, such as $50 a day, according to the Department. If a bag is deemed lost — typically between five and fourteen days after the flight — the airline is responsible for compensating you up to the maximum liability limit of $3,800.

Travelers wait for their luggage at the carousels in the Boise Airport on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021.

Unplanned overnight stay

If your flight is canceled and you are stranded at the airport, you may need somewhere to stay.

Airlines are not required to provide any compensation for hotel rooms or additional costs after canceling your flight, according to the Department of Transportation. These incidental expenses, such as rental cars, hotel accommodations, or meals now needed due to a delayed or canceled flight, are not the responsibility of the airlines.

Some airlines may offer hotel or rental car vouchers and reschedule your flight, but legally they do not owe you any additional services, compensation, or assistance.

There are 16 hotels in close proximity to Boise Airport, including a Best Western, Comfort Inn & Suites and Rodeway Inn.

If you are stuck in an airport, the Travel Channel has a few tips for staying the night:

Consider staying at a nearby or onsite hotel or using a sleep pod.
Consider paying to visit an airline lounge.
Avoid luggage getting stolen by checking luggage into the airport’s luggage storage. Sleep with bags close to you and the most valuable possessions on your person or nearest to you.
Sleep near other people, not in an isolated spot in the airport.

Overbooked cars

Car rental companies overbook their rentals like some airlines and hotels do to guarantee they will have most of their cars, rooms, or seats occupied.

According to Hertz, “A ‘reservation’ for a vehicle rental is a notation in Hertz’s records that you have expressed the desire and intention to rent a vehicle,” the car rental company’s website states.

Rental car companies usually reserve the right to cancel your reservation, even if you have already paid to secure the car. According to Budget Rent a Car’s terms and conditions, “Budget reserves the right to rescind the Rental Agreement, even if we have already accepted your reservation and/or received your payment. Our liability in that event will be limited to the return of any money that you have paid with respect to the reservation.”

If your car rental company is out of cars, ask them what they can do for you and get as much of a refund as possible. The company may offer to pay for a taxi and deliver a rental car to you once it becomes available. Other rental companies may have vehicles available as well.

If you are dissatisfied with the service of a rental car company, you can file a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. The BBB also recommends to keep receipts and watch your credit card bill for any unexpected charges.

Cars unload travelers at the arrivals drop-off at the Boise Airport on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021.

For those who plan to drive to Boise Airport and keep their car there over the weekend, the airport has partnered with The Car Park to offer a curbside valet service starting on Friday.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve our passengers’ experience at the Boise Airport,” airport director Rebecca Hupp stated in a press release. “We’re excited to offer this new, ultra-convenient option that will save people time and make parking at the airport easier than ever.”

The valet drop-off point is at the east end of the upper-level departure curb.