Traveling for Fourth of July? Here’s what to do if your flight is canceled

You do what your mother always says and get to the airport about two hours before your flight.

Security is in the rear view, and you’re sitting in the waiting area at your gate. All of sudden, the screen atop the gate agent’s desk flashes from “on time” to “canceled.”

The airline might insist that it’s their problem for the cancellation — something about weather issues or aircraft maintenance. Now you’re left with no flight and no idea what to do.

So, what’s next? Here’s a few things to know about flight delays and cancellations.

How to check if your flight is delayed or canceled

Before and during travel to the airport, it’s a good idea to check your flight status.

Both Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field have sections on their website to check flight status. Travelers can search for their flight status with their flight number, travel destination or by airport:

• DFW
• Love Field

Travelers can also check flight status directly from the airline they’re flying on:

• American Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• Delta
• Frontier
• Spirit
• United

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

Passengers are entitled to accommodations from most major airlines in the event of a delay or cancellation, if the delay or cancellation is within the airline’s control, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The following airlines will rebook travelers on the same airline at no additional cost in the event of a controllable delay or cancellation:

• American Airlines

• Southwest Airlines
• Delta
• Frontier
• Spirit
• United
• Alaska
• Allegiant
• Hawaiian
• JetBlue

The following airlines will also rebook travelers on their partner airlines at no additional cost:

• American Airlines
• Delta
• United
• Alaska
• Hawaiian
• JetBlue

Most airlines will give meal/cash vouchers if the cancellation results in a traveler waiting three hours or more for a new flight.

The bulk of airlines, minus Frontier, will give complimentary hotel accommodations for travelers impacted by an overnight cancellation. Most airlines will also offer complimentary ground transportation to and from hotels to travelers impacted by an overnight cancellation.

How to rebook a flight

NPR recently put together a list of tips and tricks for travelers to rebook flights after delays or cancellations. Some of the tips include:

• Rebook a flight yourself- Open the app of the airline you’re using and rebook the flight yourself.
• Call the airline customer service line in another language- If you know another language, this can save time because the English-language line will likely be busy.
• Seek help at an airport lounge- Travelers are likely to get faster one-on-one help with a lounge agent, since gate agents will likely be swarmed by other people.
• Choose an early flight- Choosing an early-morning flight is a safe bet to avoid delays or cancellations, since the aircraft has more than likely been sitting at the airport overnight.
• Book flights directly- Sometimes a third-party site may not help in the rebooking process or there could be additional fees to rebook a flight with a direct airline.
• Check your travel insurance- Some travel insurance could cover trip cancellation and luggage insurance or anything else that you might need.
• Be nice to customer service reps- Simply being nice and friendly to customer service reps could help get refunds or flight credits.

This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM.

Brayden Garcia

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Brayden Garcia is a service journalism reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Brayden mainly writes about weather and all things Taylor Sheridan-related.