I'm nervous about running into delays and other issues at Newark airport. BI's aviation reporter made me feel better.

In a couple weeks I have a long-planned vacation to an idyllic European destination — and I'm flying out and then back into Newark airport.

I'm mostly excited for a break and some sun. I'm less excited about flying out of an airport that's been in the headlines for the last several weeks.

The airport is facing ongoing travel chaos amid Air Traffic Control issues, runway construction, and even a couple instances of equipment outages that have prevented controllers from talking to aircraft. The problems intensified last month when air traffic issues first forced dozens of delays and more than 100 cancellations. Increasingly, travelers are finding themselves stranded in Newark.

I'm not a nervous flyer most of the time, but given the news I'd be lying if I said I wasn't questioning whether I should change my flight as it gets closer.

So I did what journalists do. I consulted an expert. In this case, that's Taylor Rains, Business Insider's intrepid aviation reporter. Spoiler alert: she made me feel a lot better. Here's what she said.

Emma Cosgrove: I'm flying out of Newark airport in the next two weeks and the news is making me nervous. Should I be nervous?

Taylor Rains: Safety wise, no, even despite ATC staffing and equipment issues sounding like a scary thing. The controllers and pilots are professionals and can maintain extremely high levels of safety. Lower staffing will mean slower air traffic arrivals and departures rates, as to specifically not overload any controllers — so that's the main issue creating the disruptions regarding ATC. I'm not personally nervous about safety in Newark. The concern travelers should have is if you're connecting to or from Newark with a short layover. You could get delayed and miss that onward flight.

Should I think about changing my flight at considerable expense?

It depends on how important your travel is. People have missed out on nonrefundable hotel nights or train tickets because of delays or cancelations. Right now, I recommend avoiding Newark if your travel is flexible. Because most Newark travelers are United or its partners, that largely means your options are flying from LaGuardia, or switching your Newark layover to another United hub. United doesn't fly from JFK. You'd have to reroute via DC, Houston, Chicago, or Denver.

Say, for example, you're flying some regional city to Europe via Newark. Call United and ask to be rerouted via one of the other hubs. They have loads of international flying from up and down the East Coast and the middle of the country. Right now, their policy is scheduled flights between May 6 and May 23 (booked before May 4) can change their flight for free (no change fee or fare difference).

The flight must be between the same two cities (or from either LaGuardia or Philadelphia), be the same cabin, and be 2 days before or after the original flight, their policy says. If you're flying Spirit or another non-United airline, you'll need to call to see your options about changing.

If you're looking to a book a future flight, I'd recommend going through a different airport altogether, or making sure your Newark layover is long because the delays are not just out of Newark but into Newark, too.

To make your life easier if you are flying through Newark, only bring a carry-on if possible. It makes last-minute changes more flexible because you don't have a checked bag to worry about.

Also, please do not take your frustrations out on airport employees! They are just as stressed as the customers and are bound by the rules of the airline, and they cannot in any way change the weather or speed up controllers. Give everyone grace and pack your patience.

Is there any difference between flying in and out of Newark in terms of safety?

Nope! There's a series of different control facilities going in and out and they all work together. If that center that has had two outages already goes down, pilots are trained to stay the course or their last known clearance. They won't go rogue or panic because they don't hear back from ATC, they're trained for situations like this and can guide themselves if necessary.

Is the situation at Newark really all that unique?

Yes and no. Newark has had years of ATC staffing issues that have created similar problems, it's just compounded right now by the construction of its main runway. That's closed until at least mid-June, so people can expect delays relating to that until then, on top of any other ATC problems and weather. Days of bad summer weather would create a trifecta of issues that will leave people sitting at their gates for likely several hours.

What should I monitor in the days leading up to my flight to have the best info about safety and delays?

People should be checking their airline for updates, so sign up for email and text alerts about delays, cancellations, and gate changes. Check the boards, and honestly, just go in expecting delays so you don't have surprises or disappointments. You can also check the FAA Advisories website. EWR is the airport code for Newark. If you check today, May 9, you'll see 262 average minutes delay for weather and 75 average minutes delay for runway construction. If you're flying on a sunny day, then you'll want to look for the runway construction note and a volume note. The one that says "volume" at the end is referring to overcapacity or staffing issues causing air traffic delays.