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NOTE: PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS PAGE AS WELL AS PRINT OUT THIS ARTICLE TO BE USED FOR YOUR FLIGHT TRIP PLANNING TO PROTECT YOUR FLIGHT RIGHTS.
I’ve said it before; flying can be a difficult business these days. Therefore, it is often with a sigh of satisfaction and relief that we board our flights, sit in our assigned seats, knowing we finally “made it,” and are on our way.
Or are we? What about those canceled flights that happen every so often, sometimes to us? It does occur, and quite a bit, especially lately, because airlines are trying to save money. If a flight isn’t sufficiently booked, they just cancel them more often than not. Coming home to America from Europe, I had one canceled. I had to take another flight the following day. No warning, no communication to me to this effect—the flight was just canceled. If I hadn’t called to confirm my return flight, I wouldn’t have even known about it. And did the airline pay for my extra overnight stay, and rearrange my (out of necessity) new connecting flight for me? Not hardly! So you see, this sort of thing can and does happen. Somehow, it’s always us consumers-as-passengers who take it on the chin, who somehow pay for it in the end.
Canceled Flights
So what can we do about it? Do we have any rights, any recourse at all? Well, one can do some things. All of these may have varying degrees of success, so you may have to use more than one method to achieve your goals.
Rule 240: If your flight is canceled, try using Rule 240. This is that famous and rather “storybook” rule we all hear about, but somehow never really see in action. Rule 240 is the paragraph in the airline contract that specifies what the airline legally has to do if they cancel your flight. Usually, this states what efforts they will make to get you to your destination some other way, and in a timely manner, including paying for a flight on another airline. However, this rule applies only to domestic flights. Even so, many airlines do have rules governing cancellation of their international flights, as well, and they are often similar in nature to Rule 240, although these may be called something different. Delta Airlines, for example, refers to it in their rules 80, 87, and rule 95. But together, they are pretty much Rule 240.
It is important to note that Rule 240 only applies to certain airlines, and that each of these may have their own version of it. So check to see before purchasing your ticket if your airline is subject to the rule at all. One source I located, says that it is a good idea to have a copy of Rule 240 (this article) with you when you go to the airport. By being able to produce it, you actually may not have to use it, since “they” (the airline officials) may rightly assume you know what you are talking about, and so they are more likely to give in under such pressure. It is advisable only to use Rule 240 as a final measure. As many advisers will tell you, it is better simply to refer to your carrier’s own ticket conditions, in their ticket contract with you, rather than to hysterically wave a piece of paper concerning Rule 240 around in the air at them.
Even so, I advise you to have a copy of this article with you. If they think you know your rights, you may just get farther with them. However, remember, even though an airline might still use Rule 240, it may or may not adhere to all its original criteria, so you should check out your ticket’s rules and conditions before you purchase it. This is important. There’s no point in waving around a copy of the rule if they don’t abide by it.
Ask for a refund: If Rule 240 is of no avail to you, the airline can’t help you, and you booked directly through the airline by credit card, ask the airline for a refund, and just try to find another flight yourself. Usually, in this case, they will refund the full amount to the credit card you used. However, if you can’t have this done for some reason, such as the card is expired and/or no longer active, then it may get a little more difficult. It seems that airlines, like so many businesses these days, are quick to take your money, but aren’t so quick to refund it if it isn’t via their usual method, the one they are familiar with and know well. Still, if you booked directly through them, they are responsible for refunding your money to you, one way, or the other. If you paid cash, that refund should be right away. If you paid by check, of course, you will have to wait until that check has cleared before they will refund your money.
Booking through an agency: This can actually be to your advantage. If you booked your flight through some agency, such as Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia.com, or some other one, then you are entitled to a refund from them if the flight is canceled and the airline can’t obtain you another one in a timely manner. The travel agency accepted your money, so whether the airlines are willing to refund it immediately to them, or not, they should still refund it immediately to you. He/she, who takes the money, is the one who should pay it back if the flight is canceled. This is according to a source listed below.
Passenger Rights: Passengers have acquired more rights under the new law passed late last year, but these are more about how long one can be forced to sit in a plane waiting on a tarmac, the constant scheduling of consistently late flights, etc. About canceled flights, sadly, it doesn’t provide much help. However, for passengers flying to Europe, the European Union has strict rules governing how flight-delays and canceled flights are to be handled, and these rules are generous to the passengers. They include such things as reimbursement, compensation, finding the passenger another flight, etc. They apply to any airline, whether European or not, that flies to or from Europe. Would that we had such rules here in America!
Airplane Taking Off From Airport
However, even here, there are caveats with regard to emergency conditions, weather, as well as other unforeseen problems. Under such conditions, airlines are not held responsible for cancellations. Even so, these rules are of great benefit for those lucky enough to be traveling to Europe. Here’s what the Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcement, Department of Transportation, has to say on canceled flights in general:
“If your flight is canceled, most airlines will rebook you on their first flight to your destination on which space is available, at no additional charge. If this involves a significant delay, find out if another carrier has space and ask the first airline if they will endorse your ticket to the other carrier. Finding extra seats may be difficult, however, especially over holidays and other peak travel times.
Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed passengers waiting at the airport; there are no federal requirements. If you are delayed, ask the airline staff if it will pay for meals or a phone call. Some airlines, often those charging very low fares, do not provide any amenities to stranded passengers. Others may not offer amenities if the delay is caused by bad weather or something else beyond the airline’s control. Contrary to popular belief, airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled. As discussed in the chapter on overbooking, compensation is required by law only when you are “bumped” from a flight that is oversold. Airlines almost always refuse to pay passengers for financial losses resulting from a delayed flight. If the purpose of your trip is to close a potentially lucrative business deal, give a speech or lecture, attend a family function, or connect to a cruise, you might want to allow a little extra leeway and take an earlier flight.”
Passengers Waiting, Author, Rudi Riet, Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
What’s the upshot of all this? Well, although we do have recourse when our flights are canceled, and we have some new protections under the law, airlines differ greatly in whether they use Rule 240, to what degree they use it, and how they use it. However, if the airline cancels your flight, and cannot offer a reasonable substitute, you are usually entitled to your money back under such circumstances. So at the very least, if your flight is canceled, you can purchase a ticket from another airline, knowing that you should be reimbursed from the old one for the canceled flight. Do remember; it isn’t always the airline’s fault. Blizzards and/or other weather conditions are beyond their control. The same holds true for changing political situations in destination countries. So if you have a problem with a canceled flight, approach the matter politely, but do carry a copy of your airline’s rules and conditions regarding your flight, and/or a copy of Rule 240 as it applies to that airline. It all helps!
One last word of advice; if you are in another country when your flight is canceled, and they want cash to purchase that ticket on another airline, you’d better have some of the local currency to hand. More importantly, you’d better know what its current exchange rate is with your money, or costly mistakes could be made. Just go to Currate.com to find regularly updated currency exchange rates, a great (easy-to-use) currency exchange calculator, and features that can be used on mobile phones with Internet browser capability. To do this at Currate.com, just go to http://currate.com/m.php. For phones capable of more advanced features, you can use http://currate.com/e.php. As if that weren’t enough, they also have actual images of all the world’s major currencies, and a point-and-click Earth map. Just point and click to your destination! This way, the traveler has instant access to everything they need with regard to matters of currency conversion.
Rob Shelsky, Currate.com Contributing Editor
Robert Rademacher, Currate.com Editor-in-Chief
References:
Currate Currency Exchange Rates Tools:
http://currate.com/
Twitter Comment
If Your Air Flight Is Canceled — Rule 240 And/Or Do You Get Your … [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
I need an assistance. I booked a flight to travel with Lufthansa airlines to Africa on the 10th day of February 2010 through an agency called Smart Travel but the flight was canceled by the airline due to snow storm. I had paid $1305.00 for my flight. Now I am being told that it was the airlines policy to deduct $300.00 if I was asking for a refund, and that my only option was to travel within one year. I found this so absurd. What if this period was the only period I could travel?
Please give me any sugestions.
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