Air travelers are in for a jolt

Some who booked early may find flight canceled

The capacity cutbacks the airlines are putting into place are designed to take flight options out of the system. Delta is cutting 13 percent of its domestic capacity in the second half of this year, and Northwest Airlines intends to cut its mainline capacity - core operations that exclude regional flights - by up to 9.5 percent in the fourth quarter. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, US Airways Group and Continental Airlines Inc. will all cut mainline capacity by as much as 14 percent, 8 percent and 11 percent respectively in the fourth quarter.

What you can do

* Check your itinerary online or call the airline. Airlines say they're doing the best they can to notify customers of disruptions and changes.

* Consult your contract of carriage to see what the airline will do in case of schedule changes. But don't expect it to give you much leverage with the airline.

* Talk to a customer-service representative to see if alternatives are available.

* If no solution can be found, cancel and request a refund.