Avoid Being Stranded at the Airport

April 11, 2008 — -- Travelers all across the country faced a nightmare this week when American Airlines canceled more than 3,000 flights for safety inspections.

While such catastrophic failures of the air travel system can't be predicted, there are a number of steps that travelers can take to increase their odds of getting to their destination instead of spending the night on an airport cot.

First and foremost, remember to be nice.

Airline employees are dealing with a large number of unhappy travelers. The person standing on the other side of the counter from you is not personally responsible for your delay. They do have a lot of power to see if you or that next person on line gets that final empty seat on the next plane out.

There are now federal laws requiring airlines to compensate you for delays or cancellations. Each airline has its own rules and policies that are spelled out in something called the "contract of carriage." Those contracts can be found on all the major airlines' Web sites.

In the end, good planning, timely action on your part, along with the help of a friendly airline agent will increase your odds of getting out of the airport.

It all starts when booking a flight.

Diane Chulski, vice president of Leisure Travel for Travel Solutions Inc., a travel agency in Grand Rapids, Mich., suggests using a travel agent.

She said that agents have experience with delays, know the options available to you and can often help rebook passengers on the next flight out.

That said, many travelers today like to book their own trips.

Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com and an ABCNEWS.com columnist, said the first mistake consumers make when buying tickets: They put in the home phone number in.

"They should always put their cell phone number in," he said. "Most airlines now have automated systems that will contact you if they know there is going to be a delay or cancellation."

Seaney said that information is key to not being stranded. If 300,000 people have their flight canceled, but you are one of the first 1,000 or so to try and rebook you have a much better chance of reaching your destination.