Travel comes with enough headaches as it is. Even when everything goes according to plan, you’re still looking at a lot of moving parts and plenty of opportunities for mistakes.

However, almost nothing is worse than when your flights end up being canceled — especially when there’s a domino effect of other flights being canceled that impact your flight.

Before those dominoes fall, it’s best to be prepared. Let’s take a look at United Airlines flight cancellations, what to do if United cancels your flight and your rights if this happens to you.

Why are United flights canceled

So, why is United canceling flights? There are plenty of reasons why flights can be canceled. Some common situations include:

Air traffic control delays.

Bad weather.

Late arriving aircraft.

Mechanical delays.

Staffing issues.

Of course, even if you’re experiencing one of these situations, it doesn’t mean that your flight will be canceled. If, for example, there’s a bad thunderstorm and flights are temporarily grounded, it’s still possible that once the storm subsides you’ll be able to take off.

If that isn’t the case for you, and your flight does end up getting canceled, there are a few steps you’ll need to take.

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What to do if United cancels your flight

When an airline sells you a ticket, the two of you enter into a contract of carriage. This is regulated by the Department of Transportation. That means that United needs to either fulfill its obligation to transport you to your destination or refund you your money.