First, its a 10-minute delay.
Then the real worry sinks in, when a delay of 30 minutes or more is posted.
Will you make your connecting flight?
Credit: David Nunuk/Getty Images
Will the cruise ship leave without you?
Causes of Delays
Flight delays occur for a number of reasonsboth human-made and force majeure.
Some delays can be predicted, to a point, while others occur at the last minute.
These primary causes of delayed flights often overlap, but the end result is that travelers are left waiting.
Inbound Plane Delays
Inbound plane delays accounted for more than 57 percent of all delays in 2024.
Watch the weather.
Days before your flight, start watching the weather forecast.
Stay on top of the news.
Keep an ear tuned to current events, too.
Book an early flight.
Delays have a snowball effect impacting other flights throughout the day, she says.
But airlines reset overnight and do their best to get caught up.
Check out theFederal Aviation Administrations flight delay mapto see the current status at airports around the country.
Kaufman is a fan of theFlightyflight tracking app, which has free and paid versions.
And heres a bonus for iPhone usersabuilt-in flight tracking tool.
Kaufman was reminded of this on a recent trip from Rome to her home base of Los Angeles.
When situations like this arise, your only choice is to make the best of it.
Just be sure you give a shot to catch theearliest flight out the next morning.
