Dealing with Flight Delays/Cancellations
Passengers inquire about reasons for flight delays or cancellations, seek information on rebooking options, meal vouchers, or accommodation from airline staff.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
delayed
When something like a flight is late or not on time. Use it in travel situations to ask about flight status, e.g., 'Is my flight delayed?'
mechanical issues
Problems with machinery or equipment, like airplane parts. Common in travel for explaining why flights are delayed.
inconvenience
A situation that causes trouble or discomfort. Airlines often use this politely to say sorry for problems like delays.
connecting flight
A second flight you take after arriving at an airport on the first one. Useful when discussing travel plans that involve transfers.
rebooking
Changing your flight reservation to a new time or flight. Ask for this if your original flight is canceled or delayed too much.
meal vouchers
Coupons given by airlines for free food during long waits. Request these if your flight is delayed for hours.
accommodation
A place to stay, like a hotel room. Airlines may provide this for overnight delays.
boarding pass
The ticket you need to board the plane. Keep it safe as it's required for vouchers or changes.
announcement
A public message over speakers at the airport. Listen for these to get updates on your flight.
patience
The ability to wait calmly without getting upset. Staff often thank passengers for this during delays.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Excuse me, I'm on flight BA249 to London. It says 'delayed' on the board, but there's no estimated departure time. Can you tell me what's going on?
This polite inquiry starts with 'Excuse me' to get attention, then states your flight details and asks for information. Useful for politely seeking updates at airports; it uses present simple for facts and a question for clarification.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
A standard polite apology from service staff. 'We apologize' is formal for companies; use it to express regret in customer service. It's useful for responding to complaints without blame.
How long do you anticipate the delay will be?
Asks for an expected time using 'anticipate' (to expect or guess). The future 'will be' shows prediction. Great for travel when you need to plan around delays.
We recommend you keep an eye on the screens for updates.
'Keep an eye on' is an idiom meaning to watch carefully. 'Recommend' suggests advice politely. Use this to give helpful instructions in service situations.
Regarding your connecting flight, we can look into rebooking options for you.
'Regarding' means 'about'; 'look into' means investigate. This offers help conditionally with 'can'. Useful for reassuring customers about solutions to problems like missed connections.
Will there be any meal vouchers or accommodation provided if the delay extends significantly?
A conditional question using 'if' for future possibilities and 'extends significantly' (becomes much longer). Ask this to inquire about compensation during long delays; it shows practical concern.
Per our policy, if the delay exceeds four hours, meal vouchers will be distributed.
'Per our policy' means 'according to our rules'; 'exceeds' means goes beyond. This explains conditions with future 'will be'. Staff use this to inform about entitlements clearly.
We appreciate your patience and understanding.
'Appreciate' means thank for; it's a polite closing in service. Use it to end conversations positively when asking for understanding during issues like delays.