The weather may have caused a messy commute for drivers, but it's a different story at the Detroit Metro Airport.

Check-in at the airlines moved quickly on Wednesday afternoon, and so did the TSA line. Travelers say the early morning commute was where things got a little messy.

"Everything was fine. The roads are fine. Just in the morning there was a little bit of traffic and dirty, but now it's perfect. It's pretty clear," said Natalia Gracieno, who is traveling to Brazil.

Most people were lucky.

"We left Austin, Texas, on time. Our flight was delightful on Delta. The crew was wonderful. We got here a little bit early," said Sue Ayers, whose daughter Emma is graduating from Michigan State on Saturday.

The list of departures showed at least two cancelled flights and a handful of delays, but Ayers says they came prepared with a backup plan.

"We flew on Wednesday for a Saturday graduation, in case we had to get in a car and drive three days across country to get from Texas to Michigan. So we always have a plan B in case something's beyond our control," she said.

Meanwhile, others watch the forecast closely.

"My sister was on top of the weather, so she noticed that it's going to be crappy, and so she wanted to leave early. So we did. We left about 45 minutes earlier than normal," Nancy V., who is traveling home to Boston, said.

That's one of the golden rules of travel, especially during the holidays and in severe weather: give yourself extra time to travel.

"Just be patient. I think that's the most important thing: just be patient. Everything is going to be fine," Gracieno said.

When it comes to delays and cancellations, that's determined by airlines.

Before you even leave your house, make sure to check your flight status.