What to do if your flight gets delayed or canceled

Between short-staffed airports, grounded aircraft, and a government shutdown that’s basically turned air travel into a real-life version of The Hunger Games, delays and cancellations are everywhere right now.

So here are some tips to keep you sane and help navigate this chaos:

•Know your rights

If your flight is canceled (or even “significantly delayed”), you’re entitled to a full cash refund — not a voucher, not miles, not a mysterious “credit” that vanishes in 12 months. Cold, hard cash.

Airlines will definitely try to offer you a voucher first, but the DOT is clear: if you choose not to take the rebooked flight, you can request a full refund to your original form of payment.

•TRAVEL INSURANCE IS A *MUST*

•Don’t sleep on hotel leniency

If these flight disruptions affect a hotel stay, you might have options. Hilton is already waiving fees for people who can’t make it to their stays because of flight disruptions, and other programs might quietly do the same. Even if there’s no formal policy, it never hurts to explain your situation — especially if you booked directly through the hotel or have elite status with them.

•Get to the airport early — like, really early. TSA wait times in some major cities are already clocking in at 2-3 hours, and that’s before holiday travel fully kicks in. Staffing shortages mean even TSA PreCheck lines are slower than usual, so plan for extra time.

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