I started writing this post while on the Eurostar travelling between London’s St. Pancras International train station and Paris’ Gare du Nord. I was not supposed to be on the train. I was supposed to be flying from London to Paris but our EasyJet flight, along with about four others, were canceled due to issues with air traffic control.
Frequent, and many not so frequent, travelers have had to deal with a multitude of flight delays and cancellations in the past few years. We tend to blame it on the global pandemic but truth be told it was an issue before 2020. Despite a robust Passenger Bill of Rights in Canada the problems encountered are often beyond the control of the airline. As well foreign airlines and other countries do not necessarily subscribe to the same sense of compensation, leaving many feeling disillusioned and dismissed.
In our case we were already at the airport and given less than 2 hours notice about the cancellation. Our fellow passengers were naturally confused, angry and upset. We were provided with a few options; try to book another flight for later that day, stay overnight in London and fly out the next day or find alternate transportation. To add insult to injury everyone had to wait until they could a gate so we could go through to pick up luggage at a baggage carousel and exit the airport.
Detailed planning means nothing when your plans are disrupted through no fault of your own. We did not want to miss a moment of our time in Paris so we turned to Plan B.
Travelling throughout Europe is generally inexpensive and simple. Budget airlines, ferries and trains are all great options. When planning to move from one city to the next I research all of our transportation options and rank them in order of expense and ease.
Flying within Europe is certainly inexpensive so it became our first choice. It was not the reliable choice however. The train is far more dependable, despite the Eurostar being far more expensive. As it turned out our Plan B became our Plan A.
The internet is a travelers dream. While stuck in the airport I took advantage of the free wifi to request my refund from EasyJet, message our Paris host on Whatsapp that we would be delayed, and bought tickets for the train from Gatwick to St. Pancras. We arrived at the international station just in time to buy tickets on the next available Eurostar to Paris, boarding within minutes. All this and we were only about one hour behind our scheduled arrival time in Paris.
We have encountered many such delays in our travels. Trains and subways diverted for repairs, flights canceled or delayed, canceled tours (once because the bus driver caught covid) and ports that were bypassed because of weather. Many people will rage against these types of unforeseen inconveniences, but a good traveler should always have contingencies; a plan B, even C or D in mind. Review your plans with an eye for the pinch points and do some research before you leave.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are not getting the answers you need from the Customer Service representative. Your fellow displaced travelers can be your best source of information and may know something you hadn’t even thought of. Luckily our EasyJet flight from Paris to Rome the following week went off without a hiccup.
For us this experience became part of our story and confirmed that a contingency planning process was worthy of our time.