(CNN) — It has been a tough few days for some air travelers here at the Christmas rush.
And that’s just Monday. Citing the spike in Omicron variant cases, US airlines have been canceling and delaying flights since Thursday, December 23.
What if you’re one of the unlucky passengers? Here are some tips to help travelers navigate the system when flights are delayed or canceled:
Avoid getting trapped at 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 and make new arrangements from there.
You can also put your airline and flight number directly into a Google search bar to retrieve the status that way. That’s also handy for friends or family who are on standby to pick you up.
If you’re at the airport already
A flight information display system shows departure times at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday, December 27.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Sometimes, the delays and cancellations happen after you’ve arrived at the airport. Once the bad news has been delivered, what should you do?
Keyes said to head fast as you can to the airline agents’ desk — and get ready to multitask while you’re in line.
Fast is a…