Rescheduled flights: your options

Q: What can I do with American Airlines, which canceled our fully paid flight for travel this September and rescheduled us to a flight that arrives around midnight rather than early afternoon, as originally scheduled?

A: Airline schedules, as the contracts of carriage state, are not guaranteed, and I hear this sort of complaint increasingly often. You probably have two options. One, ask for a full refund and book on another airline; or two, if there's an earlier flight, pester American to put you on that flight without charging a change fee or an extra fare.

Q: We will be flying to Las Vegas this summer, but we hate smoke. Can you recommend a hotel that is totally smoke-free?

A: I think you'll like the Vdara. This is a nonsmoking, all-suite hotel in the new City Center complex. Because it's a nongaming hotel, there's no long walk through a smoke-filled casino to get to your room. The entry-level room is a 582-square-foot suite with king-size bed. The living room includes a queen-size sofa bed, and wireless Internet access is complimentary. The kitchenette has a two-burner stove, refrigerator and microwave.