A survival guide to American Airlines’ flight cancellations

So you were booked on an American Airlines flight and this week’s reinspection fiasco has hung you up in the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Our condolences.

On a normal day, DFW is the world’s third-busiest airport. On a week like this one, it may seem more like the seventh level of hell. Imprisoned in its depths, you may forestall depression by drinking too much, shopping in excess, getting a haircut from the barber at C17, sitting in a massage chair at D22, dressing up like a Dallas Cowboy at E13 (the official Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop) or begging for a bed at the Grand Hyatt (298 rooms, Terminal D) or the Hyatt Regency DFW (811 rooms, Terminal C).

But in the end, except for the beds, these are feeble consolations. Especially the Dallas Cowboys thing. Soon you will be tempted to do something extreme and desperate, like scream at a gate agent, or curl up and weep, or call Amtrak.

Don’t. Instead, remember that the worst is over and you have your health. Trust that fate will deal accordingly with the relevant officials of American Airlines and the FAA. And once you’ve done what you can to expedite your departure, try these extreme and desperate things:

* Get started on that airport barbecue eat-a-thon. Begin with Dickey’s BBQ near A18, proceed to Cousins Bar-B-Q at B27, then Harlon’s BBQ Grill & Bar at B36, then conclude at Railhead Smokehouse BBQ at D18.

* Pray for deliverance. There are chapels at A22, B28, C15, D21 and E4. (On Sundays, head chaplain Bishop “DD” Hayes dashes around between them, offering Catholic and nondenominational services. If you’re still there on Sunday, you’ll need praying for.) Rabbi and Hindu clergy are available on request, as are prayer rugs. More info: (972) 973-2665

* Hit some balls: Bear Creek Golf Club, which sits on airport property, is a five-minute shuttle ride away. For $25 to $69, depending on the hour and day, an adult can get in 18 holes. Employee Allan Graham said the course was unusually busy on Friday, but at 2:15 p.m. local time it was still possible to get a 3:52 p.m. tee time.

* Make that midcareer change you’ve been putting off: Check the website and you’ll see that right now, DFW airport officials have openings for a parking service agent, construction manager, automotive tire and service technician, civilian security officer, marketing coordinator and a wellness manager.

* Pull the trigger. Of all the shooting ranges in greater Dallas and Fort Worth Metro area -- and remember, this is Texas -- Elm Fork Shooting Sports is among the most convenient to DFX. It’s open to all ages, with pistols, rifles and shotguns and ammo all on hand, 10 minutes from the airport. As of Friday afternoon, an employee reported things were pretty slow. So you could buzz right over, rent an over-and-under shotgun for $20, then spend an extra $39.90 for the chance to blast away at 100 sporting-clay targets.

* Hail a taxi or a shuttle bus. Then head the roughly 20 miles to Love Field in Northwest Dallas. That’s where Southwest Airlines, which endured it own safety-inspection fiasco last month, is running a normal schedule of flights.