Getting from here to there

Contending with a canceled flight is a frustrating experience. Travel experts offered these tips to help travelers get to their destinations:

Be aware: Know the status of your flight before you leave your home or hotel.

Have a plan: Identify travel alternatives early if you are on your way to a must-attend wedding or business meeting.

Take action: If you get to the airport and find your flight has been axed, don’t get in line with 100 other irate passengers and yell at the gate agent. Grab the nearest phone and call the airline directly.

Be ready to pay: If the squeeze is on and you have a restricted ticket, consider abandoning it and paying more for same-day travel. You will have a better chance of getting a flight.

Consider other options: Be flexible about the times you will fly and even the airports. There might be seats on a later flight at a nearby airport.

Be nice! If you are courteous to gate agents and other airline employees, you may get extra help.

Go online: If you are still at home or otherwise near a computer, check your airline’s website.

Be philosophical: In the end, however, there’s a good chance that there’s not much you can do. “Sometimes you have to just tough it out,” said Tim Winship, editor-at-large for SmarterTravel.com. “There are no easy answers.”

Graphics reporting by Jerry Hirsch, Times staff