Action 9 tips if your holiday travels become a headache

CHARLOTTE — Cancellations, delays and stranded passengers -- Channel 9 has been reporting on airline travel issues for the past few weeks.

The stories are often the same.

“We’re trying to get home today,” passenger Brian Eroh told Channel 9. “We were supposed to fly out this morning.”

“I had to spend 30 minutes with the customer service person,” passenger Michelle McVay said.

With a holiday weekend ahead, Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke investigated what rights you have if you end up frustrated at the airport.

If the airline cancels your flight, you get your money back. That includes all the fees that went with it, like baggage costs.

If your flight isn’t cancelled but there’s a “significant delay,” you can get a refund too; but “significant delays” aren’t clearly defined.

If you deserve to get money back, start with the airline, unless you bought your ticket through a third-party, like a travel website, then start with them.

If you used a credit card, whoever sold the ticket must process a refund in seven business days. Cash or check purchases are refunded within 20 business days.

If the airline refuses to pay you, complaining on social media may be a way to get a response from someone with the company.

If you have to get a hotel room, rental car or buy extra food due to a cancellation or delay, the airline doesn’t have to reimburse you. But Stoogenke said it doesn’t hurt to ask.

If a hotel or other company cancels on you, don’t just assume the company bears the cost of the loss. Many contracts put that cost on the consumer, so read the fine print.

If the airline switches your seat to a lower class than you paid for, they owe you the difference.

In most cases, you aren’t entitled to a refund because of bad service at the airport or on the flight.

(WATCH BELOW: Travelers stuck at Charlotte airport as flights delayed, canceled across US)

Travelers stuck at Charlotte airport as flights delayed, canceled across US

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