Following-up on last month’s article on managing yourself when disaster strikes at home, this article is about where to get assistance as you activate your ground emergency plan. Although many of the resources outlined below can help you on any average day flying the line, some of these may be especially helpful when you cross paths with life’s inevitable disasters.
If you are out flying and something happens at home, take measure of yourself and your trip exit plan before you call the company to get out of the trip. Staying on the trip might be the best option if you are fit to continue; or if you determine that leaving the trip is the best option, having an idea of what your plan is might help facilitate a conversation with the company regarding getting home.
All the large airlines obviously have their own travel apps and this is a good place to start if you need to go by air. ALPA has a fantastic feature (Jumpseat Finder) within the members’ app for locating direct flights as well as combinations of flights (passenger and cargo) to help you get home, also providing listing instructions. Your airline’s intranet site likely has a travel link that can provide instructions for securing tickets on other carriers as well as listing procedures for flights. Moreover, do not overlook jumpseating on FedEx, UPS, and other cargo carriers. These might be your best bet for getting home quickly, especially if it is late in the day and you need to get going now.
Perhaps driving is a solution or you will need a car once you get to where you need to be. All the car rental companies have apps too, but Turo (the Airbnb of cars) might be a solid (and more economical) choice depending on your current location and destination. Same thing goes for hotels. Having a few preferred chains’ apps downloaded with memberships set up in advance makes securing a place to stay quick and easy.
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