( CNN ) -- Another freezing wallop , thousands more flights canceled ; travelers in the U.S. are scrambling again . More than 1,400 U.S. flights were canceled Wednesday , following 3,000 Tuesday cancellations . Here are some tips to ease your trip , but above all else , patience -- and caution -- will be key . Rebook your flight for free . Airlines have rolled out their customary winter weather waivers , so most passengers traveling to , from or through affected areas can make one itinerary change without paying a change fee . Delta , American , US Airways , United , Southwest/AirTran and JetBlue have all posted weather policies on their websites . Act quickly . Rebook your itinerary as soon as possible . Other passengers are snapping up open seats as you mull over a new itinerary . Be sure that your airline has your e-mail address and phone number , advises Rick Seaney , CEO of airfare tracker FareCompare.com . If you did n't provide this information when you purchased the ticket , go online and add it . Follow your airline and airport on social media . Many airlines and airports post the speediest updates to their Twitter feeds , so start following them now . Sign up for airline alerts to get flight updates e-mailed to your smartphone . If you 're stranded , multitask . Get online , get on the phone and get in the ticketing line ( if you 're already at the airport ) . With thousands of flights delayed or canceled , competition will be fierce for seats when operations start humming again . Get airline apps for your phone and try to contact your airline on Twitter , Seaney suggests . Elite fliers should use their loyalty program hotlines and head to frequent flier lounges for better access to airline reps. `` This might be the time to spring for a lounge day-pass just to gain access to these folks , '' Seaney said . Use the NextFlight app and type in your city pair to get the next flights for the major airlines , suggests Benet J. Wilson , Aviation Queen travel blogger . Then , call the airline on your cell phone and give them your preferred options . Charge your devices . Hopefully , you 're not among those travelers stranded at the airport , where jockeying for electrical outlets is inevitable . Charge up before you head out , and keep a car charger and a power pack or a few battery chargers for your portable electronic devices handy . Check your flight , no matter where you 're going . Think you do n't have to worry about bad weather because you 're flying from sunny California to sunny Florida ? Not so fast . `` Because airlines operate networks , a storm affects not only flights in its immediate location but even those in far-removed locations not affected by the storm , '' said Cynthia Barnhart , an MIT engineering professor who teaches airline schedule planning . Check your aircraft 's journey on your airline website or with an app like Flightview . Do n't be a jerk . `` The airline representatives did not make it snow , '' Seaney reminds travelers . `` We 've heard many anecdotal stories over the years from airline representatives who tell us it 's a lot easier to find a good flight for a pleasant passenger than for one who is screaming at you . '' Use common sense : Do n't drive into a storm . It 's dangerous out there . Monitor your local and regional forecasts , and do n't drive if you do n't have to . AAA advises motorists to check tire pressure and make sure car batteries , cooling systems and antifeeze levels are in order . They also advise that you keep gas tanks close to full in order to be able to run the engine for heat in case you get stranded . AAA suggests keeping the following items in your car : a shovel , a bag of sand , a snowbrush , an ice scraper , jumper cables , a spare tire , windshield wiper fluid , a cell phone , car charger , blankets , gloves , hats , food , water and essential medication . CNN 's Katia Hetter contributed to this report .
Icy flight disruptions stacking up in the Northeast and Chicago . More than 1,400 U.S. flights canceled Wednesday . The National Weather Service said that a winter storm is expected to bring snow, ice and wind gusts of more than 50 mph through parts of New England on Thursday night into Friday morning.