\n \n Flights get canceled and delayed for numerous reasons \u2014 from bad weather and mechanical issues to operational glitches.\n <\/p>\n \n Keep in mind that in the United States, when an airline cancels your flight, you are entitled to a refund if you choose not to travel.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cIf a flight does get canceled, travelers are owed a full refund for the ticket, full stop. If they are presented with a credit, they have the right to refuse and ask for monetary refund,\u201d said Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for travel site Going.com, who was underlining Department of Transportation rules<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n If a big storm or another complication seems poised to disrupt your flights, \u201clook to make alternative travel plans immediately,\u201d said Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp<\/a>, an air passenger rights company. Competition for seats becomes fierce during the holiday season when flights are more full.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cTravelers should consider looking at flights that are very early in the morning \u2014 as these are typically less delayed, too,\u201d Napoli said.\n <\/p>\n \n Here\u2019s more on what experts say you should do if your flight is delayed or canceled.\n <\/p>\n \n As bad as it is to find out your flight has been delayed for a long time, or worse, canceled, it\u2019s better to find out from the comfort of home or a hotel room.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cCheck your flight status before you go the airport. Most of these notifications are not happening at the last minute,\u201d said Scott Keyes, the founder of\u00a0Going.com<\/a>. \u201cSave yourself the drive to the airport.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n It\u2019s important that passengers closely monitor the routes they\u2019re planning to travel, Napoli said.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe recommend booking refundable tickets or purchasing travel insurance in case of any issues that come up,\u201d he said.\n <\/p>\n \n Other tips from Keyes and Going.com:\n <\/p>\n Sign up for airlines\u2019 text alerts on the status of flights. Also, download your carrier\u2019s app.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Going.com suggests checking the National Airspace System <\/a>status provided by the DOT, where ground stops, ground delays and air traffic control system announcements are listed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Put your airline and flight number directly into a Google search bar to retrieve the flight status that way.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Check the website FlightAware<\/a> for larger flight trends across the country.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Hop on waiver offers ahead of bad weather or other disruptions quickly. Early birds have the best choices of the remaining seats and flights.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n \n If you\u2019re at the airport, act with urgency. Quickly head to the airline agents\u2019 desk. \u201cIt\u2019s going to make a difference who arrives first. It\u2019s first-come, first-serve. Positioning yourself close to the desk can pay off,\u201d Keyes said.\n <\/p>\n \n You should also call up your carrier while you\u2019re waiting, Keyes suggested. It might be faster to get through to a call center.\n <\/p>\n \n Other tactics you can try:\n <\/p>\n Go to a self-serve kiosk, American Airlines<\/a> and United Airlines<\/a> advise.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Use social media to your advantage, the travel advice website Travel Lens<\/a> suggests. Try politely contacting the airline via X or other platforms when calls aren\u2019t going through.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Try an international call center for your carrier, Keyes suggests. Calls to US domestic numbers might have longer waits.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n \n How you approach things can make a big difference, whether on the phone or in person.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cHoney attracts more flies than vinegar,\u201d Keyes said. \u201cLook at this from the airline agents\u2019 perspective. \u2026 The agent is the one who has the most ability to help you. Asking nicely and sympathetically is far more likely to get what you want than being a jerk about it.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n And when it\u2019s your turn to talk to an agent about new arrangements: \u201cCome prepared to offer your own options already. Doing your own research is absolutely helpful.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Other considerations:\n <\/p>\n Book directly with an airline for easier solutions should trouble arise. If you\u2019ve booked through a third-party site, you\u2019ll have to deal through them when there\u2019s a cancellation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Avoid layovers when booking if possible, the consumer advocacy group US PIRG<\/a> suggests. The more times you stop, the more chances for something to go wrong.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n \n Cooperation between airlines could work in your favor.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWhen flights are canceled, many airlines have the option of putting you on another carrier\u2019s flight because they have interline agreements,\u201d Lousson Smith, product operations specialist at Going.com, told CNN Travel.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThis means, for example, if Delta is having service interruptions but American is running a flight to your destination, you may be able to get on that flight.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Thanks to changes in frequent flyer programs over the past several years, airlines often still have flights available with miles even when demand is high during a weather event, Julian Kheel, founder and CEO of Points Path<\/a>, told CNN Travel.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cYou\u2019ll need to be prepared to spend a lot of miles, and you may not get the best value for them,\u201d Kheel said, but the cash savings could be significant.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cMost US airlines now allow you to cancel flights booked with frequent flyer miles without any fee or penalty right up until departure time. That means you can book multiple alternate flights on different airlines using your miles in case one of them ends up delayed or canceled.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cBut don\u2019t try to book alternate flights on the same airline, as duplicates can be automatically canceled. And don\u2019t forget to cancel the remaining flights you don\u2019t end up using so you can get your miles back.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n What do you do if you\u2019re not going to be able to fly out until the next day and you\u2019re not in your home city?\n <\/p>\n \n This depends on the specifics of your situation \u2014 in the US, for example, airlines aren\u2019t legally required to put you up in a hotel. US-based airlines have their own individual policies for situations \u201cwithin the airline\u2019s control\u201d that are tracked by the Department of Transportation, here<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n According to the DOT, \u201ca controllable flight cancellation or delay is essentially a delay or cancellation caused by the airline. Examples include: maintenance or crew problems; cabin cleaning; baggage loading; and fueling.\u201d So weather events \u2014 or government shutdowns \u2014 typically would not fall into this category.\n <\/p>\n \n But requirements in other countries are different. In the United Kingdom, for example, you\u2019ll likely be automatically entitled to food and drink vouchers and accommodation<\/a>. You can read all the details<\/a> at the UK\u2019s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)\u2019s website.\n <\/p>\n \n Your canceled flight will be covered by UK law<\/a> if it was supposed to be departing from the UK, no matter who you were flying with.\n <\/p>\n \n And if your flight was supposed to be arriving in the UK, you\u2019ll be covered by UK law as long as you were traveling on an EU or UK airline. This document<\/a> from the UK\u2019s Civil Aviation Authority explains all the ins and outs of these rules.\n <\/p>\n \n Despite this, sometimes airlines can\u2019t help everyone, and as the CAA says, \u201cthis can happen when staff are stretched during major disruptions.\u201d The CAA advice <\/a>is to organize \u201creasonable care and assistance yourself, then claim the cost back later. If you end up paying for things yourself, keep every receipt and do not spend more than is reasonable.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n Other things to consider:\n <\/p>\n Book your flight with a credit card, Smith said. \u201cMany credit cards offer travel protections such as reimbursement if a flight cancellation forces you to get a hotel, meals, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Consider hunkering down at the airport if your flight is delayed but not canceled. A lot depends on your personal comfort level and the estimated wait time, Keyes said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Check whether there is a hotel room available within the airport.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Try getting into an airport lounge if you can, where you can recharge your phone and rest more easily, the\u00a0Points Guy advises<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n \n Airlines in the United States are now required to give passengers cash refunds if the airline cancels or significantly delays or changes a flight and the passenger chooses not to travel. See more from the Department of Transportation here<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n \n Travel insurance can be helpful to ensure reimbursement in a wide variety of circumstances. However, it doesn\u2019t help in every situation.\n <\/p>\n \n Many travel insurance policies apply to \u201cunforeseen events,\u201d according to Chrissy Valdez, senior director of operations at travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth. But once an event like the shutdown is known, it\u2019s often not covered. Check with your insurer on your policy\u2019s fine print.\n <\/p>\n \n Cancel For Any Reason and Interruption For Any Reason coverage offer the highest level of protection for travelers shopping for insurance, she said.\n <\/p>\n \n Nastro suggests checking on any protections offered by your credit card before purchasing additional coverage.\n <\/p>\n \n Be sure to save all of your receipts in case you need to file a claim with your insurer or your airline.\n <\/p>\n
\n
\n CNN<\/span>
\n \u00a0\u2014\u00a0
\n <\/cite>\n<\/p>\n![\"Check](\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1473420373.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"Quick!](\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1243272312.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n Attitude and research matter
\n<\/h2>\n![\"Attitude](\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1483116327.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"Don't](\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1245857533.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Sometimes,](\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2162032846.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n Travel insurance and receipts
\n<\/h2>\n