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Until yesterday I was not aware that earthquakes ever occurred in Utah. You may not have know that either, and if you have been watching the news, you still may not know that there was a major 5.7 magnitude earthquake near Salt Lake City yesterday morning.
This event has created wide ranging effects in the city. SLC airport is also being severely impacted by the earthquake. Most traffic into and out of SLC was canceled yesterday, and many flights today are also canceled or delayed.
An earthquake does not show up on a weather report and is not a normal event that we encounter that typically would impact air traffic. If you were traveling to or through SLC yesterday or today then it is likely that your flight was impacted by the event.
This is why it is so important for all travelers to be in touch with their airline before travel to get updates on flight information. A well prepared traveler can often get rescheduled in delay and cancellation situations long before they show up at the airport. Most passengers show up for check-in at the airport and go with the flow until they are faced with a long delay. These passengers find out about delays and cancellations with most everyone else as they all rush to stand in line for the service counter to get rebooked.
Late changes are difficult, lines become long, and options quickly run out.
There are many ways to check with your airline for possible travel interruptions.
- Go Online to an airline's website to look for travel advisories, waivers, and flight info. This is valuable information for any traveler before going to the airport. You should be able to make flight changes if needed right from the website.
- Airline APPs are a great tool that usually offer similar information that the airline website will. Rebooking, ticketing, and flight info are conveniently on your phone screen.
- A simple Tweet at your airline could get you a quick response with flight info and recommendations if you have to make a change. Many airlines have staff that can change your booking quickly via Twitter!
- Call the airline if you need to talk with someone about your situation. You can find airline phone numbers on their websites. I find that the above avenues generally work faster for getting in touch, but they still have people answering phones.
It is important now more than ever for passengers to keep updated on airline schedules, delays and flight changes. Thankfully you have the tools you need to make sure you have a great travel experience!
Have you been impacted by the SLC earthquake? I'd love to hear about how you are dealing with the situation, leave me a comment below!
All images are from my personal collection and were taken by me.
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