Last year, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg along with the US Department of Transportation did us a solid by setting up an interactive, easily navigable Airline Customer Service Dashboard to answer any questions you may have about your rights when flying. Just plug in your airline carrier and see all the amenities they’ll provide in the event of a preventable delay or cancellation. Use it to compare airlines before you book—a first glance tells you that American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and JetBlue all load up on the promises—and brush up on what they say they’ll compensate should something go awry. And if it turns out it’s just lip service on their part, tell Pete about it.

Now for the big stuff. The DOT also proposed a rule to strengthen protections for consumers seeking refunds for flights, but until that passes, here’s where it stands: If your airline cancels your original flight and you choose not to travel on your rebooked flight, you’re entitled to a full cash refund under federal law. If there were multiple stops involved, you would qualify for a refund for the legs you didn’t fly. You’re also entitled to a refund for significant changes or delays to your original schedule. What constitutes a significant delay is determined on a case by case basis, but a good rule of thumb is two hours or more. Check the airline’s website for specific details.

Note: This only applies if the airline cancels the flight. “What is frustrating [with this rule] is that it does not apply to things that many people might assume they ought to be able to get a refund for,” says Keyes. “Let’s say you’ve booked a flight to Switzerland, and now the CDC says with their strongest advisory, do not travel to Switzerland. If the plane that you have a ticket on still flies, then you’re not entitled to a refund.”

If you choose to fly after experiencing a delay or rebook after a cancellation, you won’t get a refund, but you can definitely ask for upgrades. Go ahead—shoot for the moon (or maybe just some extra legroom).

Vouchers can sound like a great deal and probably make the gate attendants feel like Oprah (you get a voucher, and you get a voucher!). But don’t fall for it. If your flight is canceled, delayed significantly, or overbooked, airlines are required to tell you that you can get a check on the spot. It's basically your airport Miranda rights.

Let’s say you’re bumped from a flight, but the airline still manages to get you where you’re going within an hour of the original arrival time. You’ve got no cause to complain, really—and, in that case, you’re not going to see any compensation.

But if you arrive between one and two hours past your original arrival time on a domestic flight (or between one and four hours for international travel), the airline must pay you, at minimum, 200% of the one-way fare to your destination, up to a maximum of $775. And for domestic flights arriving more than two hours after the originally scheduled time, the minimum compensation doubles. You are then entitled to 400% of your one-way fare—the US Department of Transportation (DOT) requires they compensate you in cash, up to $1,550. For more information, take some time to peruse your Fly Rights.

If it looks like the delay is going to cost you more than the airline is offering—say, if you have a non-refundable hotel reservation or miss a private helicopter ride (look at you!)—you’ve got 30 days to try and get as much money out of them as you can. But once they cut you a check, it’s a done deal and you’ve essentially agreed to accept whatever you were offered.

Say you’re a frequent flier and, for you, the voucher is basically equivalent to cash. In that case, make that voucher count. They may tell you that you’ll get $250, but tell them no dice unless it’s $600. And you don’t have to get stuck on the first number and watch other people get more: If they need multiple volunteers to re-book in an oversold situation, Scott Keyes suggests saying that you’ll take as much as the highest bidder.

And it’s not just monetary compensation you can get: In this case, you can finagle some other perks. Like, say, a business-class seat. “If an airline is really in dire straits, they are willing to upgrade you in those situations,” says Keyes. “It’s not often something that they’re going to proactively tell you. They’re not going to be like ‘Oh, you can get a $1,000 voucher to get bumped and get business class seats on your return flight.’ It’s almost like the secret menu at In & Out. There’s all sorts of things they’re willing to play ball on: give you lounge access, give you restaurant vouchers, and give you an upgraded seat for your next flight. But you have to be the one to ask.”

Now, there are caveats to this, so don't go booking an entire planeful of tickets for shits and giggles. With most airlines, you can cancel/change your ticket within 24 hours of booking up to seven days before your scheduled departure and still get a full refund. (The notable exception is American Airlines, which instead allows you to hold a ticket up to 24 hours at the price you see.) Some airlines—like Southwest—have even more generous refund policies that let you change plans up until right before you take off.

For the most part, you’ll need to book directly through the airline's website to get this perk, and not through a third-party booking site (although big ones like Expedia or Hotwire offer policies similar to those of airlines). And though the window disappears online after 24 hours, Keyes says that if you’re at 25, or even 27 hours, it’s worth calling the airline directly to see if they’ll do you a solid. “They call it a ‘one-time exception’ for those just beyond [the time limit],” he says. “It’s not a guarantee, but it’s worth asking. And that’s something where an actual human agent will have to make an exception for you.”

So you didn’t make the 24-hour refund window. Never fear: That doesn’t mean you’re stuck with your flight. Due to the pandemic, most major airlines have implemented flexible flight change policies, benefiting both us and them. So switch away. This, however, does not extend to Basic Economy flights.

Back in the golden age of flying, there was this thing called Rule 240, which forced an airline that delayed you significantly or canceled your flight to rebook you at no extra cost, even on a competing airline. That ended with deregulation in 1978, but airlines will still do it if you ask nicely or if you have elite status.

Don’t expect the gate agent to scour the interwebs to find you a seat, though. There are likely 100 other people trying to get out as well, so if you make their job fast and easy you’ll get better results. Look up the flights you want, calmly stroll up to the counter with two or three options ready, and see if they can do anything for you. If those options include flights on their airline, all the better.

If you’re massively delayed and the airline arranges alternate transportation with another carrier, they will cover all the expenses and extra fees the new airline might assess. So if there's only a first-class seat available, it's yours, and it won't cost you an extra penny. Pass the complimentary Champagne.

That unused ticket for the delayed or canceled flight? It’s still good to use another time; think of it like an airline credit you got for your aggravation. If you’ve had it with that (expletive) airline and vowed never to fly them again, even for free —you have principles, dammit!— you can also request an “involuntary refund” for the flight from which you were bumped.

One point of warning: There have been instances of airlines trying to cancel your original ticket onsite, and confused passengers often assume this is normal procedure. It’s not. Politely tell the reservations agent you do not want to cancel the existing reservation.