What happened: The airline from which you bought your ticket stops flying.

What the airline should do for you: Other airlines flying the exact route for which you hold a ticket are required by federal law to give you a standby seat for no more than an additional $50 each way.

Next time: Protect yourself by flying only those carriers in sound financial shape. Also pay with a credit card: According to federal law, if you buy an airline ticket (or anything, for that matter) and don’t get what you paid for, you can contest the charge and the credit-card company must delete it from your bill. However, you must contact your card issuer in writing within 60 days of seeing the charge on your bill — so if your ticket was purchased far in advance, it may be too late to complain when the carrier goes out of business.