So your vacation is going off the rails. Here’s how to fix it, fast

Travel, like life, can be full of (sometimes unpleasant) surprises. But there’s no need to make a tragedy out of a crisis. After all, if a bad meal or rainy beach vacation is the worst thing that ever happens to you, you’re lucky. But that doesn’t mean you can’t try to fix things on the road.

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I’ve been a travel writer for 30 years. Last year alone I logged 165,481 kilometres – a distance of 4.1 times around the world, according to my Flighty app. I count myself lucky to be on a plane three times a month. But the frequency of my trips also means that I’ve encountered more in-transit hiccups than the average traveller – everything from arriving at the airport without the required visa for my destination, to checking in to a hotel room with a headboard that had been “decorated” with wads of chewed gum by a previous guest. So over the years I’ve developed some road-tested strategies, not only for righting a trip when it looks like it’s veering off the rails, but also for adjusting my attitude when it already has.

Here’s what to do when things go downhill:

Speak up immediately

When you’re travelling, it’s only a matter of time before something, whether small or significant, goes wrong. The key, I’ve found, is to “send up a flare” immediately, when there’s the best chance of righting the wrong. So when I paid extra for an exit row seat and found that because of a last-minute aircraft change it no longer was, I didn’t sit and fume for the next six hours and 39 minutes. Instead I immediately explained the situation to the flight attendant, who was able to reseat me (and later gave me a bottle of Chardonnay for the inconvenience). Likewise, if your hotel room faces the garden instead of the ocean or you’re assigned late seating in the dining room on your cruise instead of the early seating you requested, don’t spend the rest of your stay complaining to your spouse about it. Instead, head back down to the front desk or maître d’ and see if there’s something else available while rooms and tables are still being assigned. (And it should go without saying that you should be polite and conciliatory when you make your request. A calm and respectful request trumps an angry and entitled demand, every time.)

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Understand when someone can’t tell you ‘yes’

Once I spent 30 frustrating minutes trying to exchange a broken necklace I’d bought earlier that day in a Caribbean craft market before the vendor finally admitted that she couldn’t replace it since it wasn’t her stall; she was helping out a friend on her day off. Similarly, the person who’s working the rental car counter or the check-in desk may not be authorized to upgrade you to a fancier car or a corner suite. So it wastes their time and yours to try to convince them to. Once you’ve stated your case, ask the representative if it’s an action they’re empowered to take. If they’re not, ask to speak to the person who is, and you’ll instantly increase your chances of getting what you want.

Suggest the remedy you want

Companies want their customers to be happy. So when something goes wrong, be explicit about what it’ll take to make you feel better. Is it an extra spa treatment? Waiving the kids’ club fee? Complimentary breakfast during your hotel stay? (I asked for and received this once when my room wasn’t ready until 7 p.m., and it saved me $39 a day). Now’s not the time to be coy; ask for exactly what you want. By making a reasonable and specific request you’re giving the business the best chance to make you happy, and to regain your goodwill in a way that’s both meaningful to you and achievable for them.

Here’s what to do when things hit rock-bottom:

Look for the silver lining

Last summer, it took me almost 48 hours to get home to Miami from Greenland, an odyssey that involved two airlines, four airports and an unexpected overnight in a windowless Heathrow airport hotel room. Sure, getting home a day late was inconvenient. But once I’d taken a deep breath and accepted that I’d have 24 unplanned hours in London, I realized that my layover presented unexpected opportunities – including, after some swiping, a delightful dinner date with a doctor with whom I’m still in touch today. The quicker you can accept your imperfect, out-of-your-control situation and pivot to focus on what you can do, the easier it will be to find the unexpected perks hidden within less-than-ideal circumstances.

Think of the story you’ll tell

When you’re crammed into a metal capsule on a long-haul flight, a broken entertainment system, non-existent WiFi or a flatulent neighbour (I’ve experienced all three, simultaneously) can feel like the end of the world. But mere hours after you’ve touched down at your destination, the inconvenience will be a fleeting memory, a funny story told for laughs at a cocktail party. When all goes well on a trip, ask me how it was and I’ll likely reply, “Great!” But when a coup prevented my cruise ship from visiting Guinea Bissau … now that was a story worth telling!

Put it into perspective

Don’t allow a missed flight connection, spilled drink or sloppy service to stain your entire trip. Think carefully and you’ll likely find something you enjoyed, be it the local winemaker you met or the hand-painted ceramic side plate you picked up in the village.

During a week-long cruise on a ship that didn’t have a gym, I decided to enjoy my coffee with an ocean view rather than feel guilty about the morning workouts I was missing. And last week, when I discovered that my airline ticket to Senegal (travel time: 22 hours) doesn’t allow seat selection until check-in, I resolved not to panic at the prospect of travelling 6,400-plus km in an economy-cabin middle seat. Because once I disembark, I’ll be spending the next 10 days exploring six new-to-me destinations. And I’m already pretty sure that the pleasure and privilege of being in those places will far outweigh any inconvenience getting to them.