Thanksgiving travel: What to do if your flight is canceled or delayed

Millions of US citizens will be traveling over the Thanksgiving period, but plans to visit loved ones and eat copious amounts of food could be hampered by flight cancellations or delays as they attempt to cross the country in one of the most busiest holidays for travel.

Weather is not expected to be as mild as it was last year, with winter weather forecast to impact large areas of the country next week.

This Thanksgiving season is expected to the the busiest on record, with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expecting to screen 18.3 million people at US airports over a seven day period – 6 per cent more than last year.

With the TSA predicting that three million people will pass through airport security checkpoints on Sunday, with Tuesday and Wednesday then expected to be the next busiest air travel days across the Thanksgiving period, it is essential that you know your rights if not everything goes to plan.

If your flight is disrupted, there is still a chance that airlines will book you on the next available flight, or if the disruptions are so severe that it prevents you from traveling at all, there are plenty of compensation and commitments offered by US airlines that may make up for missing out on a turkey feast.

Here is everything to know about your rights when flying this Thanksgiving.

What are my compensation rights if my flight has been canceled or delayed?

If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook you on the first flight available to your destination at no extra charge.

If this means you are significantly delayed, find out if another carrier has space and ask the first airline if they will endorse your ticket to the other carrier.

However, finding extra seats over holidays and peak travel times, such as Thanksgiving, can get tricky.

Those who booked onto a domestic flight in the US may not be able to receive compensation when their flights are delayed or canceled, as it is not required by law. Only those who are ‘bumped’ from a domestic flight when it has been overbooked are legally required to receive compensation.

On international flights, passengers may be able to get reimbursed under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention, for expenses resulting from a delayed or canceled flight by flight a claim with the airline.

If the claim is denied, you can escalate the matter in…