Local

Travel experts weigh in on what to do if you’re flying JetBlue this spring

BOSTON — Cheri Calhoun sat in the JetBlue terminal at Logan International Airport Monday with her cell phone and a bag of books. JetBlue had already cancelled one of her flights last week and now she was waiting six hours for another delayed flight back home to Minneapolis.

“I’m already getting notifications that there’s delays for my June trip,” Calhoun said.

According to FlightAware, JetBlue cancelled 49 flights in and out of Boston Logan International Airport—17 percent of the company’s scheduled trips.  As of 8 p.m. Monday, FlightAware showed Logan had 20 cancellations for the day, including 16 JetBlue flights.

“We are going to be continuing to deal with these kinds of issues unfortunately,” said Omar Kaywan, Marketing Head of Growth with Goose Insurance in Vancouver, Canada.

Here are four things to consider if you’ve already booked a flight with JetBlue and you’re worried it could be delayed or cancelled:

CONTACT YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY

Kaywan said JetBlue travelers should contact their credit card company immediately. If you’re worried about delays or cancellations, the credit card company may work with you to get you a refund or onto another flight.

“Some credit cards do offer you a bit of trip protection, particularly when it comes to delayed flights or interrupted flights,” Kaywan said.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROUTE

TRAVELLUSTRE travel advisor Stephanie Williamson said travelers should pay close attention to their JetBlue route in the days and weeks leading up to a trip. If you’re noticing the Boston-to-Tampa flight you’ve booked next month keeps getting delayed or cancelled, you may want to readjust and book with another airline.

“Keep a close eye on that route, because that will tell you a lot. If it’s being cancelled or delayed a few times in a row, switch,” Williamson said.

CONSIDER TRAVEL INSURANCE

“You shouldn’t be traveling in 2022 without travel insurance,” Kaywan said.

Kaywan said some policies can be as cheap as $40 or $50 and protect your trip’s costs. But if you want a policy with “Cancel For Any Reason,” Williamson said that needs to be purchased within two days of making your first trip deposit.

“The other options and coverages can be purchased closer to your date of departure, but you will see a price increase as you put in for coverage dates that are close to the purchase date,” Williams said.

CHECK YOUR FLIGHT’S STATUS EVERY DAY

Williamson said JetBlue is trying to give travelers advanced notice of cancellations, but she believes these warnings will only be a few days before the scheduled flight, at the earliest.

“It’s important to be checking your flight status leading up to the trip. Don’t rely solely on getting an e-mail or notification, as technology can be faulty,” Williamson said. “If you’re not sure, call them. They are being upfront because they don’t want the hassle any more than we do.”

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW