Originally Posted by
BearX220
This is the correct answer, and it should be bolded / underlined if you're starting from a thinly serviced outstation.
If you don't have status the legacy airlines are not any better at this point than B6, IMHO. All of them balk at rebooking you on other airlines, and all of their call centers get overwhelmed when weather is bad regionally. I think the backup plan that the OP is using is the best defense rather than relying on any of these airlines to rebook you with any degree of timeliness.