This morning, discount airline ATA declared bankruptcy and canceled all of its flights. The airline was serving 10,000 passengers a day on many routes west of the Mississippi.

Ticketholders can learn how to receive a partial refund by visiting ata.com for instructions. Budget Travel tip:

The Fair Credit Billing Act gives credit card customers the right to dispute charges for services not received. People who never get the chance to use tickets can at least get reimbursed by the bank that issued their card. Notify the credit card company right away. It's within your rights to ask for a refund for any services that were never rendered, as long as you contest the charges within 60 days of the charges' appearing on a statement (and some credit card companies extend this period to 90 days). If you bought travel insurance, see if your policy covers "operator default." You may be able to get the insurance company to recoup any losses that the credit card company hasn't already taken care of.