Know Your Travel Rights

We've all been there. You get to the airport and sit down to wait for your flight and then wham! Flight Delayed! Or worse, your flight is totally cancelled. What the??? Now what? 

With staff shortages and fewer routes due to Covid, delays and cancelations are becoming more normal. Airlines are still trying their best, even if they are also still overbooking. 

If your flight is cancelled
In this worst-case scenario, the airline will rebook you on the next available flight. If there's another flight on another airline that leaves earlier, you might be able to talk them into transfer you over, at their expense.

If your flight is delayed or you get bumped
Yeah, this sucks, but not as much as your flight being totally cancelled. Most airlines overbook flights, meaning if everyone checks in, someone's not making it on the plane, because there aren't enough seats. If you don't mind waiting, you can volunteer to get on the next available flight and make someone's day. (Sometimes you are made aware of overbookings on the airline's app. The last time I flew, I got a push notification asking if I wanted to leave on a later flight for a voucher.) Even if you don't want to and are the unfortunate one to get stuck at the airport, it's not the worst thing ever. Here's what you can do though:

• Next time, get to the airport earlier. Like 2 hours before your flight. 3 hours if you're flying internationally. Or, just check in as soon as you can and hope you make it to the airport before the flight starts boarding.
• If you get bumped, make sure you're comped. 
  • For flights that arrive one to two hours later than your scheduled arrival time, you're entitled to the one-way fare of your ticket up to $400.
  • If you're delayed two to four hours from your original scheduled arrival time, you're entitled to 200% of the one-way fare, up to $700.
  • If you arrive more than four hours later than your scheduled arrival time you're entitled to 400% of the one-way fare, up to $1400. If this requires an overnight stay in a hotel, the airline will almost always pay for it and also give you vouchers for meals.
  • Ask for cash, instead of vouchers. Cash works just as well and has no black-out dates or other stipulations. Plus, you can use it on another airline if you find a better deal, or blow it all on your trip when you finally get on it.
  • If your flight arrives an hour or less than your original arrival time, you aren't entitled to anything, but that doesn't mean you can't maybe ask for miles, a free drink or something similar. Be nice about it though, because that's really the only way the gate crew are going to want to do a little extra for you.
• Unfortunately, flight delay rules only apply to delays that result from a foreseen circumstance like a plane change. If the delay is weather-related, the airlines aren't required to comp you at all. Anything they give you is up to the representative's discretion.

If your flight has been changed
This always sucks, but it rarely happens that flight times change more than a few minutes either way. In even more rare cases, you may be informed that your flight departure destination has been changed. Um, what? If either of these things happen and have made your travel inconvenient for you, the airline is only obligated to refund your purchase price and send you on your way. 

Of course, some airlines are more generous than others, and better at customer service. We had to wait on the tarmac on one flight for about an hour and when I got home from my trip I had an email giving us both $50 flight vouchers for our troubles, which I didn't even feel was that big a deal. It was nice though and one of the many reasons Alaska is my preferred airline.

Always check each airline's terms and conditions when it comes to delays and cancelations. And if you end up getting stuck in the position where one of these things happen to you, don't just settle for standing in line to talk to a gate representative. While you're in line, get on the phone with the airline (or use their text-back system) or get on their social media to see if you can get helped sooner than the line moves.

I hope your future trips are all awesome, but if they aren't, you are, at least, armed with knowledge. Carry snacks in your bag, just in case, and some non-digital entertainment. 

What's your worst flight delay or cancelation story? 

How To Travel With Your Dog

Traveling with your dog is not always cheap, or easy, but with a little bit of prep, you can make it more enjoyable for everyone. We did quite a big of road travel with our dog

WHEN YOU DRIVE

Bring their comforts

Dogs can be stressed when they're away from home and in unfamiliar situations. Even if your dog loves the car, it doesn't mean he's going to love it for hours and hours. My pup has her own seat in the car so she can see out the window, but I also bring a dog bed for when she starts to get tired and wants to stretch out. I take that bed into hotels with us, that way she has consistency, and her bed from home. I also found out that she is very picky about her dishes, so I need to bring those with me as well. I take her normal food and snacks with me, so she doesn't have tummy problems. If your dog has special toys, then take one or two of those along as well.

Stop often

Your dog can't tell you when they have to potty, so I plan to stop often. Before I leave home, I check out all the dog parks along our way and make a note of them. I also keep an eye out for rest areas, because even if I don't have to go, it's nice to get out and stretch your legs. Your dog will think so too. I plan a stop every two hours. 

Stay on a schedule

I know it's difficult to stay on a normal schedule when you're spending a ton of time in the car, but if your dog has a regular feeding time, make sure you stick to it. They can't understand why they have to wait, so make sure you plan one of those rest stops for a dinner break at their regular time.

Keep water readily available

At home your dog can probably get a drink any time they want. Also, the car can be a lot warmer than your home, so make sure your dog has plenty to drink. I make sure any time we stop at a rest stop, park, gas station or anywhere else, I offer some cool water. Bring a thermos or a few bottles of water in your cooler just for them, as well as a dish from which to drink from.

Find dog-friendly restaurants

Your dog doesn't want to stay in the car while you eat. Look for places that are dog-friendly and have outdoor seating. Most places that welcome dogs will let you know on their website or you can check out dogfriendly.com to find eateries when you travel.

Bring some drugs

Okay, not actual drugs, unless your dog requires medication. If your pup gets stressed over certain things, bring something that will comfort them or help them chill. A Thunder Shirt works for a lot of dogs, but I find that Bach's Rescue Remedy for dogs works great for mine.

Don't forget the necessities

If it's cold where you're traveling, don't forget their coat and boots (because frozen feet aren't fun). If it's hot where you're going, bring a cool collar and anything else that might help. We've used a collar similar to this. Also, remember their leash and collar/harness and potty bags.

WHEN YOU FLY

The same rules apply as when you road trip, but because you can't schedule stops when you want, you need to make the ones you are allowed to make count. Try to plan for layovers that are long enough to allow you to have a good potty break. Most airports have pet relief areas, but many make you go outside to use them, so you need to make sure you have enough time to make it back through security with your pup.

More and more airports are incorporating indoor pet relief areas for convenience, which is really nice. They aren't fancy, but at leas they can pee and stretch their legs before having to get back in their carrier. Make sure they get a snack and a drink before they have to get back on the plane.

Remember, as uncomfortable as you are flying (and hungry and thirsty and needing to use the restroom), you can control your actions and aren't confined to a small bag. Let them do their business before you do, so there are no accidents.

Where have you traveled with your pup?

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How To Spend 3 Days in Tucson

Back in January, I took a trip to Arizona with my mom and husband. This was his first time there, which was an interesting perspective considering I spent my entire school-age life there. Since this was our first trip where we didn't drive during Covid, we planned to do quite a bit outside, which was great, because the weather was perfect for this kind of visit.

We were there for just 4 days, but we made the most of those days. If you are looking for a short getaway and want to enjoy the outdoors and the desert landscape, here are my suggestions for visiting Tucson in just a few days.  

Click to see full res panorama

Take a Day Trip

We rented a car, because I knew we would be doing quite a bit of driving. One of our days we took a day trip to Tombstone and the surrounding area. Tombstone is a wonderful little historic town, with wooden sidewalks, dirt roads, and saloons. There's a mine tour, to help you learn about their history with silver mining. You can stand where the shootout at the O.K. Corral happened. Head to Old Tombstone Western Theme Park to immerse yourself in Wild West entertainment.

We started our visit with a stroll through Boothill Graveyard, which is the resting place of many people who lived and died in Tombstone, including the three men who were killed in the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Many who reside here were actually killed over petty disputes or from diseases that we now have vaccines or other cures/preventions for. 

There's even a Jewish cemetery and memorial that sits on the site, a little off from the main cemetery, where you can sit and reflect or pay your respects. While there are no individual gravestones, it's a lovely memorial.

Next we got lunch, walked the main street, bought some exotic jerky, and then took in a show at the Saloon Theatre. For about an hour, you learn the history of the city through historical gunfight shows. Three actors in Wild West costume reenact some of the gunfights that shaped the town. 

We planned to go to Bisbee afterward, but we were running low on time, so we headed to Fairbank, which was touted as a ghost town. While there was indeed no one there, it was also a camp site for RVs. Due to Covid, we couldn't go into any of the buildings on the site, but were able to view what remained of the town, including the post office and school house. 

You may want to visit Bisbee, another mining town, Kartchner Caverns State Park, where you can learn about limestone, or Colossal Cave Mountain Park, where you can take in the colorful rock formations.

Biosphere 2

When we lived in Arizona, Biosphere hadn't opened to the public yet. I remember how excited everyone was about this experiment going on where scientists were going to live in a self-contained environment, which I assume was meant to see how well we could do this maybe on another planet or if we tried to move to other inhospitable environments. I knew if I went back I was going to take a tour. 

While you'll want to bring good walking shoes, there isn't a lot of "hiking" like the website and the signs say. Yes, there are some stairs, but not a ton. It is also mostly accessible for those with mobility issues. We took a self-guided tour, via an app on our phone. There is staff on-site to answer any questions, but you basically learn everything you need about how the environment works through the app and from signs along the way. 

Inside you can view the ocean environment, the rainforest, the sleeping quarters and more. The only place we were unable to go was the observatory. For as much as is on the site, the tour is pretty short, giving us plenty of time to do other things after our morning visit.

Tucson Botanical Gardens

I love to visit botanical gardens when I travel, because they showcase many of the local plants and flowers. Even though there are a lot of cactus at this garden, there's also art, flowers, herbs, and butterflies. There's also a small museum and gallery within the gardens, a café, a lovely gift shop, and a miniature train. 

We spent much more time here than we expected to, because we learned so much about the couple that started the gardens and the plants within, plus we enjoyed admiring the many large art pieces dotted around. 

Presidio San Augustin del Tucson

There's no better way to learn about a place than with hands-on and interactive exhibits and the Presidio is the perfect place to get both of those experiences. If you plan your visit well, you will be there during living history time. You'll get to talk to a blacksmith, listen to an orchestral circle, ask about kitchen tools, learn about baking in a clay oven, and watch a real cannon ceremony and witness the firing of it.

The Presidio is small, but it's got a lot packed inside and out in the courtyard. It's the perfect place to visit if you have kids traveling with you, though we three adults greatly enjoyed it as well. I spoke to a plant historian who taught me about how they learned about people and their travels by following the route of a certain plant and its mentions in stories and accounts. I found his enthusiasm contagious.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Another way to learn about the area you're visiting is through animals. The Desert Museum was one of my favorite places from when I'd lived in Tucson. It has acres of animals and plants that are indigenous to the area, including wildflowers for pollen-collectors, reptiles, and birds. 

There is a lot of outdoor walking without cover and on uneven ground, so wear your sunscreen (or maybe a hat) and good shoes. I did see someone in a wheelchair cover the loop, so it's accessible to all, but even if you don't take that loop, there's still much to see on a paved path.

If you're looking for a more traditional way of viewing animals that isn't a 30-minute drive from the city center, check out Reid Park Zoo. It's one of the best zoos I've ever been to, and small enough to visit in just a few hours. 

There are many other things to see and do in Tucson, especially if you enjoy hiking and getting outside. We mostly only found ourselves inside during some dining experiences, but even then we were often seated away from others or near those who also entered wearing masks. 

You'll find traffic in the city is pretty horrible, but since it's not that large, it's not the worst traffic you'll ever see, but it also makes it seem worse than it is, because there aren't too many other ways to get where you want to go than the main streets. Just give yourself extra time to get anywhere, or go early in the morning, when traffic is light. Many things close before 6pm, because it can get quite hot in the afternoon, so an early start is smart if you want to do multiple things per day.

Have you been to Tucson? If so, what were your favorite things?