How to protect yourself from a weather delay

❚ Fly nonstop. Bad weather in your connecting city may increase risk of delay or cancellation. Consider nonstop flights, even if you have to pay extra.

❚ Avoid weather-delayed airports. San Francisco, Newark, New Jersey, and Chicago are the top weather-delayed cities, according to a Weather Channel study. They’re also major airports where passengers connect to other flights. Avoid them, and you could avoid a weather delay. Also, never book the last flight of the day. When weather delays those flights, they’re usually canceled. Then you’re stuck overnight.

❚ Consider insurance. Most travel insurance will cover any kind of trip interruption, which includes a weather delay. “Flight delays are just one reason why travel insurance is essential,” says Danielle Peterson, a travel agent based in Columbia, Maryland. “While you may need to have extra funds readily available to cover unexpected costs, such as an extra hotel night, the insurer will reimburse you.”