I was 21 hours into a 32-hour journey home when I landed at Singapore ’s Changi Airport , and my phone dinged with an email. “We regret to advise your flight ..
. has been cancelled.” On a regular day, I’d have no issue handling a cancelled flight.
But a travel day is anything but regular—it’s an endless stretch of sleepless hours that leaves you physically achy and emotionally drained. Throw in a foreign airport with limited information or support, and it’s a perfect storm for confusion, irritation, and overwhelm—emotions that hit me hard, even though I’m a travel journalist who often writes about flight disruptions and travellers’ rights. Flight cancellations are rare compared to delays, but they do happen.
Here are three things I’d tell any traveller to do if they find their flight cancelled while abroad:.