Sure, winter storms can wreak havoc with the airline industry, but these weather woes are foreseen well in advance. I realized a day in advance that there was nearly a 100% chance my flight would be cancelled in Madison, WI, due to a winter storm at my arrival destination. To top it all off, it was Easter weekend, so flights would be scarce.

How airlines handle weather emergencies is Extremely important to their customer base. Airlines will try to do everything they can to help their flyers within reason. My logic was airlines would be glad to send me back to Madison two days later instead of trying to get on a jammed flight tomorrow. I asked my travel agent if it would be possible to exchange my current flight back to Madison into a two leg trip. Fly home to my family in Philadelphia, then fly back to Madison, WI, the day after. Sure enough, after talking with United, the picked up the offer.

All my coworkers ended up stranded in major hubs for the night trying to get home. Meanwhile, I flew back to Philadelphia early the next day, spent the rest of that Saturday and part of Easter with my family and friends, and flew back to Madison that afternoon delay-free.

Take advantage of predicted weather emergencies...instead of spending a night on a stuffy airport floor, I got to spend Easter with my family for free!