The long awaited day of your family vacation has finally arrived. Everyone is packed and ready in the minivan. You've got everything organized and under control until you arrive at the airport and find out your flight has been cancelled or delayed...Now What? Here are some tips to help avoid some family vacation flight nightmares...

CHECK THE WEATHER
Just don't pop your head outside your front door to determine the weather forecast on your travel day. You need to check national and international weather forecasts depending on your flight itinerary, connections and final destinations. Be aware of the bigger weather picture and how this may effect your airline travel. High winds, storms or fog in an airline hub city, even one you are not traveling through, can cause a domino effect of airline delays in other airport cities. If you can foresee any potential weather related problems, call the airlines before you leave home. Often they will be happy to re-route your flights for the sake of your convenience as well as theirs. Calling ahead can also prevent long airport waits and whining children.

BOOK EARLY FLIGHTS - TRY FOR NON STOPS
Whenever possible, opt for early non stop flights. Non stop flights are more convenient when traveling with kids and you avoid the risk of missed connections and being caught stranded at the airport. It may be hard to drag the little ones out of bed early, but morning flights are your best option. Recently many airlines have consolidated flights to cut fuel costs and raise profits. This means if your flight gets delayed or cancelled, there are fewer flights amid fewer seats available to ultimately get you to your destination. If you're at the airport early in the morning there will be more options available to you. With later flights you may not be able find a flight out till the next day and will need to find an airport hotel or sleep in the terminal. Your kids may see this as an adventure, you may see it as a major turmoil.

ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS AND ACT FAST
Airlines may wait until the very last second to delay or cancel their flights. Use common sense. If the weather outside looks dreadful, you may want to call ahead and try to get airport hotel accommodations...just in case. Often hotels will hold a reservation up until a certain time of day and allow you to cancel without obligation by simply making a phone call. If you wait until your flight has actually been cancelled, other travelers may have beat you to any available rooms at good local airport hotels.
Keep a close watch on departure screens and keep an ear tuned to airline announcements. Kids often do need to be distracted from boredom but do try to keep close to your gate in case changes are made. If your airline does delay or cancel your flight do get in line immediately to speak to the airline representative BUT... while your waiting in line use your cell phone to call your airline's 800 number. Often you can get quicker service this way.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance is a good way to give you peace of mind when traveling but there can often be much interpretation of coverage when it comes to weather. Many travel insurance policies consider weather to be an "act of God" and may not cover weather related issues. Be sure to read your policy carefully and understand the fine print. Often with large threatening storms like blizzards and hurricanes, airlines and hotels may ultimately offer cancellations without penalties or re-booking fees. Be aware when this happens, it usually always happens at the very last possible minute. It is a gamble. If you choose to go ahead and cancel yourself, before the airline or hotel announces their decision, then you would have to pay any penalties or fees. It's often a waiting game that takes nerves of steel.

DAMAGE CONTROL Be a realist, as a parent you do need to be prepared for the worst possible scenario. Make sure you have some creative parenting up your sleeve to entertain and control the kids should your family be stuck at the airport. Rule of thumb is to pack 2-3 days of diapers and formula. Have some entertaining travel games at the ready or pull out your trusty deck of cards. Airport delays can be a true test of parenting! Keep your cool and remember this is an excellent time to set the example and teach your children how to deal with disappointment and frustration.
If your flight gets severely delayed or cancelled it's a good idea to call your travel agent Situations like this are the exact reason you need to book with a travel agent in the first place. That friendly, knowledgeable travel agent will have access to all of your confirmation numbers, itineraries and contact information. Often they can be of great help making alternative travel plans. If you booked your flight yourself online, you are on your own. It's particularly important to be sure to notify your resort if you're going to be delayed, especially during busy travel seasons. Often if you show up late, you may not have a room waiting for you. Again, your travel agent can assist you with matters like these. If your plans get cancelled entirely, a good travel agent can help you with travel insurance claims.

THE SECRET PASSWORDS... Ok...the secret passwords when it comes to dealing with airline issues are "CONTRACT OF CARRIAGE". Technically speaking this is the microscopic fine print written online when you click to buy your tickets or actually printed on your e-tickets. Whenever you buy an airplane ticket you and the airline agree on a contract. As the passenger, you agree to show up on time, present your passport, pack your luggage according to rules etc. The airline agrees to fly you to your destination and if for some reason they cannot, there is a set of guidelines they must live up to...That is a very simple explanation of contract of carriage rules. Most people don't realize that in some instances, like mechanical issues, if your plane is delayed, you are owed compensation by the airlines...free meals, free accommodations, even a flight on another carrier. All of this is spelled out in an airline's contract of carriage. So if your family is delayed or has their flight cancelled, do not stomp and scream in frustration. Ask your airline rep for a copy of the airline's "contract of carriage". Some airline employees will be clueless but most will look fearful and understand that you are in the know. Most people do not get compensation for airline issues because they do not know the proper way to ask and what they are entitled to get. This is how you do it.

Let's face it, family vacations are meant to be fun and care free. But sometimes, Mother Nature doesn't play fair. It's funny but in our home we remember our fun vacations together, but, often it's the "vacations from hell" that my children and I remember every vivid detail. I can say from experience that after all is said and done, these travel survival stories are the ones we often laugh about the most.