...maybe now they'll stop over-booking to maximize their shareholder profits.

You could lose your discounted fare you booked months ago and now have to rebook at full price to continue. It could be hundreds of dollars difference per ticket.

Rebooking may still be your only affordable option.

Since your old ticket was cashed out. You were reimbursed.

You don't get a refund and get a new flight.

At least I don't think so.

You just know the airlines are going to try to make up the lost revenue by ripping out the seats and installing subway-style hanger straps.

I avoid flying anymore because the cramped position badly affects my circulation. I'd get up and stretch or wander(?) every now and then, but I think the option of standing holding a strap might be better.

Of course, in the case of a crash, all bets are off.....

We seem on the brink of a major incident in this country. When it happens it will likely be due in part to an overloaded system. This will add enormous pressure to keep planes moving on time, even if they're suffering a "minor" failure like a fuse that keeps popping, or a malfunctioning indicator light or even rolling the dice on whether they can get through that thunderstorm that just popped up over the runway.

Things are a bit dicey up there right now. I don't know exactly how I feel about this yet. I need to read more.

This would free up travelers to fly on a competitor's plane for their return trip, or rent a car or take a train.

I had a flight from Costa Rica to San Diego diverted to Miami overnight, then to South Carolina. This after we'd already had a 24-hour delay on our trip to Costa Rica, then more than 24 hours delay coming home.

A recent flight from Montana to San Diego got cancelled and I had to fly to Denver, stay overnight, then come home the next day. We were stuck with one airline. It would have been nice to catch another flight out on a competitor.