Don't Get In A Flap!

Call Your Agent
This may seem a throwback notion in the digital era, but industry veterans say a knowledgeable travel agent can be a miracle worker when things go wrong. Unlike an airline employee, a travel agent is working for you, and he or she can search options faster and more efficiently than you can.

Choose Your Target
Standing in a line of grumpy fellow travelers and arguing with the gate agent might be the worst thing you can do. "Gate agents," says a former airline executive, "are processors, not problem solvers." Instead head back to the ticket counter, where the personnel tend to be less harassed and more knowledgeable, and have access to better information. Try to be cordial; if the airline reps get snippy, ask to see the airline's on-site customer-service manager. That's the top of the complaint food chain, the person who can make your life pleasant or merely bearable.

Know Your Surroundings
If you are concerned that you may end up stuck somewhere for hours or overnight, check out hotels in the area and reserve a room as soon as you know you need it. Be aware that most airlines do not have rooms booked in advance, only agreed rates and the pull of a big repeat client, which can throw its weight around if it chooses to help you. That may not be the case in a place like San Juan, Puerto Rico, where hotel rooms are so expensive that airlines will resist mightily having to give you a room.

Even following all these proposals won't guarantee a hassle-free flight, but it will make the trip a bit more predictable. It might even be pleasant. But it's still up to Norm Mineta to fix things so that you consistently get there on time.