Here’s an air travel term you may not know but you need to. 

It’s called the contract of carriage. And every airline has one. 

It’s not the ticket you bought. It’s not the confirmation email the airline sent you. It’s the actual document that spells out in detail what the airline promises to do — and not do — in the case of delays, cancellations or denied boarding. 

And here’s the rub: every airline’s contract of carriage is different. And the airlines count on one thing — that you never read them. You should — and the best place to find them? Buried on every airline’s website.