After properly preparing for an upcoming trip after athorough review of cheaptravel options, including cheap fares, cheapdeals, cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, fewthings are more upsetting than being bumped, delayed, or denied rightfulcompensation at the airport.
The following is what you should do when an airline triesto take advantage of you, according to Jamie Ditaranto:
Whenyour airline changes the scheduled times of your flights it can either be amajor inconvenience or an opportunity to work the system. If you receive online notice from yourairline that your flight time has changed, do not accept the new times rightaway. You can use the time change as anexcuse to call the airline and ask to be placed on a different flight that willprovide you with a more desirable flight.
For example, if you originally reserved acheap red-eye flight that was rescheduled by as little as 30 minutes, you canrequest being placed on a more convenient morning flight which costs $200 more,without you having to pay the difference. Unfortunately, airlines do not consistently send out notices of flightchanges, so it is wise to monitor your flight times in order to take advantageof this opportunity.
Regrettablyairlines often do not fully inform its passengers of their rights. If a flight is severely delayed or canceleddue to an airline, and not weather, that airline owes its passengers. If a canceled flight results in fliersdiscontinuing their travel plans, then the airline must refund the cost of thosetickets. For passengers who decide tokeep their travel plans, the airline must put them on its next availableflight.
Overbookinga flight is a common airline practice in order for the airline to account forno-shows, which seems unfair given that most people who do not show up fortheir flights still have to pay for their tickets. Unfortunately, when everyone who purchased aticket does show up, sometimes there is not enough room and someone needs to bebumped. If no one volunteers to take alater flight, airlines decide who to bump.
A bumped flier who the airline cannot getto his or her destination within two hours of the original arrival time, isowed 200 percent of the original cost of that passengers one-way fare (with a$650 maximum) for domestic flights and 400 percent (with a maximum of $1,300)for international flights.
Airlines often try to induce passengers tovolunteer to take a later flight on overbooked flights by offering vouchers,upgrades, or other forms of compensation. Regardless, involuntarily bumped fliers are entitled to demand a checkor to have the money returned to their credit cards.
Rememberif you reserve your connecting flight via a different airline than youroriginating flight, it is not the first airlines responsibility to help youmake your connection, even when it is their fault that you missed thatconnection. Whenever possible you shouldselect all your connecting flights through the same airline. By doing so it is the airlinesresponsibility to rebook you on the next flight out.
If your airline cannot place you on aconnect flight until the next day, they might not arrange for complementary(i.e. free) accommodations and meals. Remember though that it never hurts to try to negotiate their doing so.
Whenan airline loses your checked baggage, you should file a report at yourdestination airport as soon as you realize your bag has not arrived. Filing a claim motivates airlines to findlost bags as quickly as possible since passengers who are left luggage-less forover 30 days, result in airlines be required by law to cover all reasonable,actual, and verifiable expenses related to baggage loss, damage, or delay.
Lost luggage on domestic flights canresult in compensation for up to $3,500 ($1,600 internationally). Such passengers should also request to bereimbursed for their checked baggage fees. If missing items, such a lost cameras or sports equipment, result in youhaving to rent similar ones at your destination, passengers can negotiate withairlines to compensate them for rentals during their trip.
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