When your flight is canceled, it pays to know what you’ve got coming. To find travel alternatives and adjust your schedule and accommodations in the most efficient way, you need to know the rules of the game.

MSNBC put together a list of rights passengers have when their travel plans are changed against their will:

*You’re entitled to a full cash refund. Taking the option may be smarter than accepting a voucher that ties you to one airline.

*If the cancellation is caused by a factor the airline could have prevented, such as a mechanical problem, it must provide hotel accommodations. This doesn’t apply to cancellations caused by weather.

The story also notes customers have a 24-hour window after they buy a ticket to cancel the purchase. After that point you may have to pay a hefty fee.

Passenger rights when flights are canceled [AP via MSNBC]

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