On his podcast, Clark Howard answers real reader questions on money, credit, debt, retirement, travel, and more, along with co-host Christa DiBiase.

Clark's answer: Here is why this happens: when an airline estimates a delay, it is really just a "guesstimation." They do not know if dispatch is going to sub in a different aircraft, if a maintenance issue will be resolved sooner than expected, or if a reserve pilot or flight attendant will show up faster than planned. It is a heads-you-lose, tails-you-lose situation for travelers because the airline will tell you the plane is late, but shame on you if you are not within earshot when they suddenly fix the problem. The only time I will actually stay home and not head to the airport is if the flight is completely canceled.

To handle this, I use third-party tracking tools. FlightAware and FlightRadar24 both offer free versions, and they are often better than the airlines' own software. In fact, some airlines even embed this data into their own apps now. If you are not at a major airline hub, your flight is usually a "turnaround," meaning the same plane flying in to your airport is the one taking you back out. If I check FlightAware or FlightRadar24 and see that my incoming plane is still sitting on the tarmac in another city and hasn't even taken off yet, then I know I can stay home a bit longer because they aren't just going to magically roll up a spare plane.

To protect yourself, I always recommend downloading the app for whatever airline you are flying that day, even if it's an airline you rarely use. Log in, enable notifications just for your travel day, and delete it when you're done. That way, if you miss an overhead announcement, you still get real-time alerts.