A: The cancellation two days before your return to Cleveland looked a little questionable. And given that United still operated your original flight as scheduled, I think your confusion was justified.

Let's go straight to the rules, which state that United can do whatever it wants and you have virtually no recourse. Check out Rule 24 of its contract of carriage — the legal agreement between you and the airline: www.united.com/web/en-US/content/contract-of-carriage.aspx. It states that schedules “are not guaranteed and form no part of this contract.” Further, the airline may “substitute alternate carriers or aircraft, delay or cancel flights, and alter or omit stopping places or connections shown on the ticket at any time.”

Now, just because United can do this doesn't also mean it should. If the “severe weather” cleared up and it could operate your original flight, it should have accommodated you on that original flight. I think buying a new ticket was the right move. A little risky but right.

When you book a round-trip ticket, not all of the segments are valued the same. It turns out that the first refund covered only one of the tickets. Another refund, which will cover the full amount of the second ticket, is in process. United also sent you two $200 vouchers as a “goodwill gesture.”

Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the author of “How to Be the World's Smartest Traveler.” You can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org, or email him at chris@elliott.org.