The secret to pain free air travel delays

One of the biggest unknown things about travel is what to expect from an airline when there is a delay.

There are two primary delays: mechanical, when the airline's plane has an issue that needs to be fixed, and weather/ATC, when weather or air traffic conditions delay your flight, crew, or inbound plane. Airlines have little liability for ATC/weather, so at best you can try to get rebooked on another flight with the airline. You are not entitled to a free hotel room if you are stuck overnight, so beware.

However, if you have a mechanical delay, you can start insisting...

If you think you'll be delayed 2 hours or more, either directly or by missing a connection, you can be asked to be put on any other flight -- even with another airline. When a delay is mechanical -- it becomes the airline's responsibility as it is a caused by an issue within their control. They even must provide lodging if your delay forces you to stay overnight.

Stay tuned later to hear about how I effectively handled a delay with Northwest Airlines on a recent trip.