A friend was severely delayed yesterday, and nearly missed a once/day connection. This reminded me about a set of policies that I thought you should be aware of.
Back before airline deregulation in the 70′s, Rule 240 was an FAA regulation that spelled-out what compensation you were due when a flight was delayed or canceled due to something under the airlines control (mechanical, personnel, etc.). This rule is long since obsolete, but each airline is still required to spell out the terms of compensation in their Contract of Carriage which you (probably unknowingly) entered into when you bought your ticket. While the document is long and boring, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the section on flight irregularities. Just Google “<airline> contract of carriage” (where <airline> is the name of your airline), and you should get to the right spot.
Generally speaking, if the flight is severely delayed, canceled, or you miss a connection because of the airline, then they should get you to your destination by other means. They should put you on another of their flights that will get you there, or book you on another airline, or even provide ground transportation. Failing that, they owe you cold hard cash. The details vary from one airline to the next, so take a peek at you preferred carrier. If you get stuck at the airport and aren’t sure, just ask an agent for a copy of their CoC. They should have copies around, likely printed in a ticket jacket or similar.
Here’s hoping we never need to talk about Rule 240 again!
Tags: canceled, Contract of Carriage, delayed, Rule 240
Ah – I am the friend in question. I can’t thank you enough for your advice and support during that ordeal. Fortunately, we made it to LAX from ATL with time to spare, but just barely. There were others who missed connections and ended up having to get hotel rooms.
FWIW, the airline in question did take care of the folks who missed connections, and they were kind enough to give us 1 free beer or wine once in-flight service began.
Have fun in Asia! I’ll be reading!