Flight canceled? How to save thousands of shekels in the first 10 minutes

Still, even when a flight is canceled, you do not have to panic immediately. A few right decisions and simple steps in the first hours can save thousands of shekels, protect most of your money, and sometimes even save the entire trip.

The first rule: Do not cancel on your own and do not immediately buy a new ticket. First, understand what happened, what you are entitled to, and what alternatives are available to you.

Therefore, before taking any action, stop for a moment and check three things: Who canceled the flight, what kind of ticket you purchased, and what exactly the airline is offering you.

There is a significant difference between a situation in which the airline canceled the flight and a situation in which the passenger asks to cancel on their own initiative. When the cancellation comes from the airline, in most cases passengers have the option to choose between a monetary refund and an alternative flight, in accordance with applicable law and ticket terms.

By contrast, if you cancel the ticket before the company announces a cancellation, you may be required to pay cancellation fees or lose some of your rights. Therefore, even if you fear the flight will be canceled, it is not always right to jump the gun and cancel on your own.

In periods of uncertainty, many airlines temporarily publish more flexible policies. Sometimes it is possible to change the flight date or cancel it without cost, even when the original ticket terms do not permit it. Before making a change, check on the company's website or with customer service whether an exceptional policy relevant to your flight was published.

When a flight is canceled, the system usually offers an automatic alternative. This is not necessarily the best option. There may be an earlier flight, an alternative route through another layover destination, a flight from a nearby airport, or in certain cases, a solution through another airline.

Before you click approve, check all the options. Once you have approved an alternative, it is sometimes harder to change it again.

This is one of the most common mistakes. Before spending thousands of shekels on a replacement ticket, check whether the airline is obligated to offer a solution, whether an alternative exists that has not yet been displayed in the system, or whether an arrangement can be reached with customer service.

An independent and quick purchase could complicate the refund process later on. Sometimes it will indeed be the right solution, but it is advisable to make this decision only after you have checked all the options and not out of pressure.

Order confirmations, cancellation notices, receipts, correspondence, and screenshots could be critical if you are required to submit a request for a refund or exercise your rights later on. Also keep documentation of call times with customer service and the offers you received. The more organized the documentation, the easier and faster it will be to handle the case.

Even when they do not have the ability to solve every problem, availability, the ability to understand the full picture, and acting in real time are worth quite a bit especially during periods like this. That is precisely the difference between someone who merely sold you a ticket and someone who is there when you need to handle the problem.

In periods of uncertainty, it is not always possible to prevent a flight cancellation, but it is certainly possible to prevent a large portion of the damage. Take a breath, gather the information, check the ticket terms and alternatives, and only then make a decision. In most cases, considered action will save you money, time, and a lot of heartache.