What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

Dallas weather: Dec. 26 late morning forecast

FOX 4 meteorologist Evan Andrews takes a look at the strong to severe storms moving through North Texas.

Thursday's storms come in the middle of a busy travel day for people in and out of North Texas.

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 200 flights have been canceled out of DFW as of 11 a.m.

Tips for when your flight is delayed or canceled

Late is a pain, sure. But canceled flights are where it can really hurt, so do these three things to alleviate some pain.

Have your airline’s app on your phone. Learn to navigate it now. Memorize your password.
Allow notifications to come to your phone. You can also turn off that setting after the holidays.
Download an app called FlightAware. It'll help you double-track what’s going on in the air on your departure day.

According to the travel expert site "The Points Guy," it’s recommended to know the departure and landing destinations' weather forecasts very early. If you see bad weather looming, try to change that flight to a day earlier, or day-of leave at another time of the day to avoid the poor forecast. For example, if you are flying at 5 p.m. and you see bad weather coming, try to reschedule to a 7 a.m. flight.

When should I rebook my flight?

If your flight is going to be delayed, try re-booking it quickly online, with the app, or at the kiosk. If the airline’s phone number is backlogged, try calling through the international number. That’s a Points Guy workaround. If that doesn’t work, then try a ticketing agent. Speed is your friend here.

Also, some folks just re-book with another airline and hope their original airline will refund them later. Check to see if your credit card has a trip delay or cancelation refund policy.

Don't be late for check-in, and be nice.

What you're owed if your flight is cancelled

New federal regulations that took effect in late October require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for "controllable" delayed and canceled flights, and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation.

Here’s what to know about the new rules.

What is considered a controllable cancellation?

"Controllable" reasons for flight delays and cancellations include:

maintenance issues
crew problems
cabin cleaning
baggage loading
fueling

Weather and air traffic control flow problems do not qualify for automatic refunds, according to the Department of Transportation.

What you’re owed for canceled flights or ‘significant’ delays

According to the Transportation Department, airlines are required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for controllable canceled flights and "significant" delays. The new rules define a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.

Airlines are still allowed to offer another flight or a travel credit instead, but consumers can reject the offer and take cash instead.

What you’re owed for checked bags

The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights.