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Is your flight about to be canceled?

Joshua Peterman's was. He recently bought three Delta Air Lines tickets from Seattle to Bangkok. But a few weeks ago, Travelocity e-mailed him with word that his flights were "no longer confirmed" — a nice way of saying he had no reservations.

"The only option that they've offered is a refund, which is useless at this point, since the tickets are twice as expensive as they were when I purchased them," he says. "Delta is claiming their code-share partner changed the schedule and that they're under no obligation to offer us new travel dates, unless the partner airline has tickets with the exact same fare code."

In other words, Peterman didn't pay enough for his ticket.

This scenario is likely to repeat itself more in the coming months. Airlines have canceled twice as many flights in the first half of 2008 as they did last year — about 65,000 — and they have no intention of tapping the brakes. In fact, domestic airlines are expected to cut the number of flights by up to 15 percent during the next year, which is the biggest reduction in service since 9/11, and maybe ever.

But these cancellations don't have to ruin your trip. I contacted Travelocity to find out why Peterman had been left high and dry by Delta. A Travelocity spokesman promised to find out what had happened to his flight. "Regardless of the outcome, our agents shouldn't be telling a customer to call the carrier," he added. They might take a moment to read their customers' e-mail signatures, too. Peterman is a lawyer.

Surviving the summer of airline cancellations is possible. Here are a few helpful strategies:

● Call your airline to confirm your flight at least two weeks in advance.

The conventional wisdom used to be to phone your airline, or check online, a day before the flight. But with this fall's unprecedented flight cutbacks, that time has increased to at least two weeks. Why? Because if you have to take the refund, the two-week window for advance purchases will still be open. Remember, as you get closer to your travel date, the cost of your ticket goes up. The most expensive tickets are called "walk-up" fares because you literally walk up to the ticket counter on the day of the flight to buy them. Calling two weeks early will prevent you from having to shell out big bucks for one of these overpriced tickets.

● Know your airline's contract of carriage.

Generally speaking, an airline contract says you're entitled to a refund or to be rescheduled on a flight of the airline's choosing when your flight is changed. But not all of them do. For example, United Airlines allows for a refund only if your flight has been changed by more than two hours (at least that's how I interpret Rule 240 of its contract — but then again, I'm no lawyer).

A little contract knowledge can take you a long way. Tim Strigenz, a producer for a video game company in El Cerrito, Calif., bought a ticket for his wife to fly from Tampa, Fla., to Eugene, Ore., on US Airways this spring. Then the airline started cutting flights to Eugene, to the point where she was left with a reservation on the sole remaining flight, and a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum from US Airways. "Her first choice would be a United codeshare flight — and if they are unwilling to budge on that, a refund," he told me. I contacted US Airways on Strigenz's behalf and it did not respond. The contract is pretty clear about his rights — his wife is entitled to a refund, but probably not a rebooking on the code-share flight.

● Work with a good travel agent.

At the risk of contradicting myself, let me add that your best protection against a cancellation disaster is working with a competent travel agent. Yes, you'll pay an additional booking fee of around $50 per ticket. But agents know what you're up against and they have ways of making sure that a flight problem won't ruin your trip. There are at least a hundred other reasons to hire a reliable travel professional — I've outlined a few of them here — but the bottom line is, you can't go wrong with the right agent.

● Book fewer cancellation-prone flights, if possible.

It's not easy to predict whether your flight will be canceled before your departure date, but you can make an educated guess. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics is a terrific resource for someone who wants to connect the dots. For example, it publishes a list of the most-delayed flights (www.bts.gov/programs/ airline_information/ frequently_delayed_flights) and of holiday flight delays.

Just because airlines are slashing their schedules and laying off employees this year doesn't mean you have to become a victim, too. With a little research, planning and a lucky guess or two, you can get to your destination.