By Forrest Brown, CNN

(CNN) — Air travelers have become all too accustomed to flight delays and cancellations lately.

Air traffic controller shortages caused major issues during the US government shutdown, triggering the Federal Aviation Administration to mandate flight cuts. While those cuts have been lifted, the busy holiday season could spell more disruptions, particularly if bad weather complicates operations.

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.

“If 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,” said Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for travel site Going.com, who was underlining Department of Transportation rules.

If a big storm or another complication seems poised to disrupt your flights, “look to make alternative travel plans immediately,” said Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, an air passenger rights company. Competition for seats becomes fierce during the holiday season when flights are more full.

“Travelers should consider looking at flights that are very early in the morning — as these are typically less delayed, too,” Napoli said.

Here’s more on what experts say you should do if your flight is delayed or canceled.

It starts long before you go to the airport

As bad as it is to find out your flight has been delayed for a long time, or worse, canceled, it’s better to find out from the comfort of home or a hotel room.

“Check your flight status before you go the airport. Most of these notifications are not happening at the last minute,” said Scott Keyes, the founder of Going.com. “Save yourself the drive to the airport.”

It’s important that passengers closely monitor the routes they’re planning to travel, Napoli said.

“We recommend booking refundable tickets or purchasing travel insurance in case of any issues that come up,” he said.

Other tips from Keyes and Going.com:

  • Sign up for airlines’ text alerts on the status of flights. Also, download your carrier’s app.
  • Going.com suggests checking the National Airspace System status provided by the DOT, where ground stops, ground delays and air traffic control system announcements are listed.
  • Put your airline and flight number directly into a Google search bar to retrieve the flight status that way.
  • Check the website FlightAware for larger flight trends across the country.
  • Hop on waiver offers ahead of bad weather or other disruptions quickly. Early birds have the best choices of the remaining seats and flights.

If you’re at the airport already

If you’re at the airport, act with urgency. Quickly head to the airline agents’ desk. “It’s going to make a difference who arrives first. It’s first-come, first-serve. Positioning yourself close to the desk can pay off,” Keyes said.

You should also call up your carrier while you’re waiting, Keyes suggested. It might be faster to get through to a call center.

Other tactics you can try:

  • Go to a self-serve kiosk, American Airlines and United Airlines advise.
  • Use social media to your advantage, the travel advice website Travel Lens suggests. Try politely contacting the airline via X or other platforms when calls aren’t going through.
  • Try an international call center for your carrier, Keyes suggests. Calls to US domestic numbers might have longer waits.

Attitude and research matter

How you approach things can make a big difference, whether on the phone or in person.

“Honey attracts more flies than vinegar,” Keyes said. “Look at this from the airline agents’ perspective. … 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.”

And when it’s your turn to talk to an agent about new arrangements: “Come prepared to offer your own options already. Doing your own research is absolutely helpful.”

Other considerations:

  • Book directly with an airline for easier solutions should trouble arise. If you’ve booked through a third-party site, you’ll have to deal through them when there’s a cancellation.
  • Avoid layovers when booking if possible, the consumer advocacy group US PIRG suggests. The more times you stop, the more chances for something to go wrong.

Help from other airlines

Cooperation between airlines could work in your favor.

“When flights are canceled, many airlines have the option of putting you on another carrier’s flight because they have interline agreements,” Lousson Smith, product operations specialist at Going.com, told CNN Travel.

“This 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.”

Frequent flyer miles

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, told CNN Travel.

“You’ll need to be prepared to spend a lot of miles, and you may not get the best value for them,” Kheel said, but the cash savings could be significant.

“Most 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.

“But don’t try to book alternate flights on the same airline, as duplicates can be automatically canceled. And don’t forget to cancel the remaining flights you don’t end up using so you can get your miles back.”

Trapped for the night

What do you do if you’re not going to be able to fly out until the next day and you’re not in your home city?

This depends on the specifics of your situation — in the US, for example, airlines aren’t legally required to put you up in a hotel. US-based airlines have their own individual policies for situations “within the airline’s control” that are tracked by the Department of Transportation, here.

According to the DOT, “a 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.” So weather events — or government shutdowns — typically would not fall into this category.

But requirements in other countries are different. In the United Kingdom, for example, you’ll likely be automatically entitled to food and drink vouchers and accommodation. You can read all the details at the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)’s website.

Your canceled flight will be covered by UK law if it was supposed to be departing from the UK, no matter who you were flying with.

And if your flight was supposed to be arriving in the UK, you’ll be covered by UK law as long as you were traveling on an EU or UK airline. This document from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority explains all the ins and outs of these rules.

Despite this, sometimes airlines can’t help everyone, and as the CAA says, “this can happen when staff are stretched during major disruptions.” The CAA advice is to organize “reasonable 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.”

Other things to consider:

  • Book your flight with a credit card, Smith said. “Many credit cards offer travel protections such as reimbursement if a flight cancellation forces you to get a hotel, meals, etc.”
  • 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.
  • Check whether there is a hotel room available within the airport.
  • Try getting into an airport lounge if you can, where you can recharge your phone and rest more easily, the Points Guy advises.

Refunds in the US

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.

Travel insurance and receipts

Travel insurance can be helpful to ensure reimbursement in a wide variety of circumstances. However, it doesn’t help in every situation.

Many travel insurance policies apply to “unforeseen events,” according to Chrissy Valdez, senior director of operations at travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth. But once an event like the shutdown is known, it’s often not covered. Check with your insurer on your policy’s fine print.

Cancel For Any Reason and Interruption For Any Reason coverage offer the highest level of protection for travelers shopping for insurance, she said.

Nastro suggests checking on any protections offered by your credit card before purchasing additional coverage.

Be sure to save all of your receipts in case you need to file a claim with your insurer or your airline.

CNN’s Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.

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