Flight attendant gives an insider hack to compel airlines to rebook a flight in case of 'delay'

Who does not like insider secrets? The internet has become a goldmine, where past employees of various sectors are sharing certain "tips" and "tricks" that only they know. Cierra Mistt–who goes on Instagram as @cierra_mistt–is also one such influencer. A former flight attendant, she uses Instagram to share a series of videos, making her audience aware of the things they must know while traveling through airlines. In the sixth part of this series, she advises passengers on what they should do when they find themselves stuck in the endless loop of "delayed" flights. She explains how in most cases, the airlines are actually withholding information about the flight status. She tells her viewers about a loophole they can use to save themselves.

The video begins with Mistt sharing how various airlines do not inform their passengers about canceled flights, instead telling them it has been delayed. They do so because as per Federal Aviation Administration regulations, if a flight is delayed because of circumstances outside the control of airlines, they don't need to refund the passengers. Therefore, the term 'delayed' is used so that the passengers cannot claim any form of reimbursement. It leads to passengers spending hours and hours in the airport without any avail.

Mistt provides her viewers with a hack, which she believes would be handy in such a circumstance. "If you ever find yourself in this situation that I just described when your flight is delayed for hours on end, with no end in sight and they normally just blame the weather, maintenance issues, employees, this is what you're going to do," she explained. "Go to the Google Flights website and type in the airport you are currently at and the final destination you are trying to get to."

After that, she suggests people add at least three passengers to their actual party in the search bar. If they are traveling with a party of 3, make it six. After getting all the possible routes from the present to the final location, she asks passengers to "pick 3 of them." The next step would be to research the airlines and their policy on "delays." Most airlines have a provision for rebooking in their terms and conditions. It is necessary so that the passengers can use the information against the flight staff, who might want to fool them or push them aside instead of giving them a seat.

"When you have all the data, including the airlines' delays policy, alternate routes with spaces on those flights, take it to a representative at the desk and they will have to help," said Mistt. "Go up to your airline's gate agent or customer service agent and tell them you want to rebook your flight with one of those three options you found." The fact that the chosen flights have 3 extra seats will force the airline to provide accommodation for the passengers. "The gate agent or customer service agent has nothing to argue against you and has to rebook you on that next flight," Mistt concluded.

Her viral video has gained 357K views on the platform. The comment section was filled with gratitude, thanking Mistt for sharing such a useful tip. @brendanmonagleno.1 calls the tip very useful and writes, "That's, an Awesome tip, thank you, Ms. @cierra_mistt!"