My flight was canceled during the government shutdown. Now I have a backup plan for holiday travel.

"I was in Indianapolis on November 7 when I received a phone notification that my American Airlines flight home was canceled. It was early in the afternoon, and I was representing a client at a conference. I immediately Googled flights from Indianapolis to any of the Washington, DC, airports near where I live in Maryland and booked a direct flight home on Southwest."

"American Airlines had rebooked me on a flight for the following day, but it would have been extremely inconvenient to stay another night in Indianapolis, because the airline was not providing a hotel room. My new Southwest one-way ticket to Baltimore was $140 more than my initial round-trip ticket with American. Luckily, this was work travel, and my office was able to cover the cost. I also received a refund for almost half of my American Airlines flight within the seven business days."

Leticia Barr was in Indianapolis on November 7 when her American Airlines flight home was canceled. She promptly searched for alternatives and booked a direct Southwest flight to Baltimore, boarding without issues. American Airlines rebooked her on a flight the next day but did not offer a hotel, making an overnight stay impractical. The Southwest one-way ticket cost $140 more than her original American round-trip; her office reimbursed the extra expense and she later received nearly half of the American fare refunded within seven business days. She plans to book a backup flight and make holiday contingency arrangements for her two college-aged children and cannot miss an early-December marathon commitment.

Read at Business Insider