Flight attendant shares hack to get refunds for delayed flights

You’ve gotta fight for your flight!

Like a controversial celeb, airplane passengers no longer have to take cancellations lying down.

A flight attendant has revealed a foolproof hack to get reimbursed for “delayed” flights, which she detailed in a video tutorial taking off on Instagram.

“They [gate agents] will have to help,” declared the attendant, who goes by Cierra Mistt, to her 289,000 followers on the platform.

In the footage, entitled “Secrets I’ve learned as a flight attendant part 6,” the air hostess pointed out how commercial airlines will label flights as “delayed” even though they know they are about to be canceled.

Mistt claims airlines will refrain from informing passengers how long the delay will last due to a loophole in Federal Aviation Administration regulations, which stipulates that if the flight is delayed for a reason outside their control — weather, employee strike, etc. — they don’t have to refund passengers.

By doing this, airlines can avoid having to officially cancel the flight, in which case they are “obligated to pay each passenger a full refund” no matter the reason, Mistt explained.

Thankfully, the flight attendant unveiled a foolproof hack to circumvent this sneaky little tactic.

“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 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.”

The flight expert added, “When it asks how many passengers are flying, make sure it is at least the amount of your party and add three extra passengers, so for example, if you have a party of five people trying to get somewhere, put eight, six, nine, you get it.”

Think of it as a little flight lie.

Next up, the delayed passenger should research all the possible routes across all airlines and select three of them.

Once the route is selected, research said airline’s “policy on delays” to ensure you have all your ducks in a row before booking, per the tutorial.

“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.”

She explained that the fact that you know both the policy and that there are at least three extra seats on the flights will force airline staffers to accommodate you.

“The gate agent, or customer service agent, have nothing to argue against you and have to rebook you on that next flight,” Mistt declared.

Mistt is one of several “rogue” flight attendants providing online tips to bedraggled travelers.

In September, a flight attendant for “a major airline” took to TikTok to reveal three unexpected but essential items people should pack to enhance the flight experience: bungee cords, shoe covers and carabiners.