If your kids are flying unaccompanied, make sure they understand the new rules. Remind them to get something to drink before they get in line, rather than bringing a water bottle, and warn them against making sarcastic comments or jokes about security threats, Ogintz said.

Teenagers should notify airline personnel if they are flying alone, so that they get priority to stay on the flight in case passengers are bumped.

To entertain young children, bring a deck of cards, and paper and pencil. "You can draw pictures, make designs, play Hangman," Ogintz said. Play "I Spy" on a long line or if you are forced to check the toy bag, she added.

• CRUISES: If you miss your cruise because of a delayed flight, "you fly to the first port of call," advised Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of a Web site that offers advice to cruisers.

Contact your cruise company to see if schedules or policies have been revised because of the new rules and delays, or if their staff can help you rebook. Holland America delayed the weekend departure times for several ships around Europe and North America to give passengers extra time to make connections.

• INSURANCE. If you bought trip insurance, you may be eligible for compensation related to delays, according to John Ansell, president of the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, which represents 90 percent of U.S.-based travel insurance firms.

Comprehensive travel insurance typically covers rebooking flights, hotels if you are stranded, loss of personal belongings and other problems related to missed connections and cancellations, he said. Most travel insurance companies have hotlines to assist you.

If you want to buy insurance for a future trip, a comprehensive cancellation policy — which typically includes medical insurance too — will cost 4 to 7 percent of the total price of your trip, Ansell said.