It happens a few times a season. A major storm closes all airports over a wide region and you’re stranded, ticket in hand, with no idea how to get where you’re going or what to do in the interim. In summer it can be hurricanes, heavy rains, thunderstorms, or high winds that stymie your travel plans for days, but every season has its natural disasters…

One winter a major blizzard hit the East Coast when my daughter Alissa and I were vacationing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We found ourselves on a Sunday amid crowds and confusion trying to get Alissa back to her college in Boston and me home to Washington, D.C. Here’s what we learned the hard way on how to survive a major airport delay.

• Intro |
• Survival Tips 1-4 |
• Survival Tips 5-7