Adventures of Flight Cancellations: Has Cancel Culture Taken Over?

I’ve always considered myself somewhat technologically savvy. I do my best to keep up with Tik Toks, Instagram influencers, and the latest social media trends––the most recent being cancel culture. I never thought, however, that I would personally experience getting “canceled,” especially while traveling from country to country in Europe. But there’s a first time for everything, and within two weeks, my friends and I were, in fact, canceled...TWICE.

After an adventure-packed weekend in Interlaken, Switzerland, we spent our last night having dinner amongst the most picturesque of views, but were rudely interrupted by a notification from an airline informing us that our flight back to London had been canceled due to a storm. Heavy rains and gusty winds forced EasyJet to opt-out of flying our plane back to the UK, rightfully so, of course. But despite being thankful for their safety precautions, we were obviously irritated. Nevertheless, when we landed on UK soil over 24 hours later, we figured we had survived cancel culture.

But apparently Europe is a breeding ground for storms, and an all too familiar anxiety set in a week later in Bordeaux, France, when our sophisticated wine-tasting was put on hold due to another storm that led to another flight cancellation.

I can guess what you’re probably thinking. Being stuck surrounded by the snow-capped mountains of Interlaken or the endless vineyards of Bordeaux seems more ideal than tragic. But as a first-time solo traveler (and by “solo,” I mean not having Mommy and Daddy to rely on), I felt stressed and overwhelmed about finding the cheapest way home that ensured that I would make it to my Tuesday morning class with my homework finished.

Most of my fellow classmates who are studying abroad have some story to share about sleeping in the airport, sitting on the tarmac in a plane for over five hours, or being delayed every hour of the day just to see that dreaded word next to your flight on the digital board. But truthfully, I’ve come to think that’s one of the bright sides of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding delayed and canceled flights: it makes for a good story.

Last week, for instance, thanks to a flight cancellation and my roommates’ desperation to save a buck, they spent 18 hours on a bus from Paris to London. After tensions calmed and they recovered from lack of sleep, they laughingly filled me in on the broken outlets on the bus that left them with dead phones by hour 3, the inconsiderate passengers who decided that fully reclining their seats was a good idea, and their bus driver who loved the brake a little too much.

I now recognize that the struggle to rebook a flight home, find an inexpensive hotel for an extra night (or two), and survive on overpriced airport croissants are experiences I’m grateful to have. These are just a few of the trials and tribulations of studying abroad, and though in the moment, complaining on the phone to my mom seems like the best option, I’ve realized my independence, capacity to manage stress, and appreciation for travel have all grown thanks to these minor inconveniences. BUT, in the words of my friend Sarah, if one more of my flights gets canceled, “I’ll strongly consider simply walking home.”

Cameron Price, FCRH ‘20, is an English major studying in London during the Spring 2020 semester.  She will be writing her "London Letter" biweekly.