Don't panic if you get caught in Thanksgiving travel chaos

"Thunderstorms around Dallas/Fort Worth already caused hundreds of delays at the city's two main airports on Monday. And these local disruptions can ripple through an airline's entire network, displacing aircraft, pilots, and flight attendants (the crew can "time out" after prolonged delays and become legally unable to fly). So even if it's sunny in Los Angeles, your flight could be three hours late due to thunderstorms in Texas."

"It gets even trickier if you're flying out of a smaller airport, like Key West or White Plains, where it's harder for airlines to quickly find replacement aircraft or crew when things get out of sync - and sometimes they can't at all. Taylor: First, don't panic - you have options. During a delay or cancellation, the fastest route is usually your airline's app or website, where you can rebook online on an earlier flight, a later one, or even the next day."

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest travel periods, with 31 million people expected to fly. Thunderstorms in parts of the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and the East Coast have already caused hundreds of delays. Local disruptions can ripple through an airline's entire network, displacing aircraft and crew and causing legal crew timeouts that prevent staff from flying. Flights can be delayed far from the initial weather event. Smaller airports have greater difficulty finding replacement aircraft or crew. During delays or cancellations, airline apps and websites usually provide the fastest rebooking options, faster than airport lines or phone queues.

Read at Business Insider