Your Rights When Flights Are Delayed - All About Rule 240
(October 1999)
This past Monday, my America West flight in Las
Vegas was delayed due to a mechanical problem. The delay
unfortunately caused me to miss my connection in Phoenix - and the
only flight to Cleveland America West offered that day. Since it was
a holiday weekend, most planes were flying at capacity, and many
flights were oversold. My options were few at best.
Noticing a very long line at the gate counter, I
headed for the phone to call America West. I called their 800-
reservations number to inquire about my options, and to find out how
I would be re-routed. I've previously done the same successfully
with many carriers. It certainly beats waiting in line. To my
dismay, however, I found out that America West does not re-route
passengers via its reservations line. All re-routings must be done
at the airport. So I was left with only one option - waiting in line
for over 45 minutes to find out my fate.
After my 45-minute wait, the agents in Las Vegas
couldn't tell me, or any of the other passengers with connections,
about our options. We were told to board the delayed flight to
Phoenix, and that the Phoenix agents would handle our situations.
Once we reached the customer service desk in Phoenix, things
worsened. The agent helping me simply shook her head, saying that
flights were oversold and that I'd probably have to get a hotel
room.
It was then, for the first time in all my years of
flying, that I had to use the term "Rule 240." Once I uttered those
two short words, the agent promptly sprung into action. She started
to work on finding me flights to either Cleveland or Pittsburgh, my
alternate airport. Luckily, she found an open seat on Continental's
1:20 PM non-stop Cleveland.
So what is this all-powerful Rule 240? In short, Rule
240 isn't really a rule - it's a term. It used to be a rule back in
the days of governmental airline regulation, but after deregulation
in 1978, these rules were no longer enforceable. Most airlines,
however, continue to abide by the old rules even though they
"technically" don't have to. It's just good business for the
airlines to do so.
Simply put, Rule 240 states that an airline must
deliver you to your destination within two hours of the originally
scheduled flight time. If they cannot, they must put you on another
carrier.
Under Rule 240, you are also entitled to a meal
voucher, a free phone call, and a lounge pass request. As for my
ordeal, I did receive a voucher and use of a phone to call home, but
I was not successful on the lounge pass request. I also made sure
that my frequent flyer miles would be credited to my America West
account.
Remember though - Rule 240 does not apply to
weather-related delays: only mechanical delays, or delays that are
completely the fault of the airline. You'll want to become familiar
with the term "force majeur." A force majeur is any condition beyond
the airline's control. These include: weather, acts of God, riots,
civil commotion, embargoes, wars, hostilities, disturbances,
unsettled international conditions, and any strike, work stoppage,
slowdown, lockout or any other labor-related dispute involving or
affecting the airline's service, etc.
If you become a victim of a force majeur event, you
are unfortunately at the mercy of the airline. Airlines can cancel,
terminate, divert, postpone, or delay any flight without notice in
these situations. If your flight is affected by a force majeur
event, the airline's only obligation is to refund you the price of
your ticket, depending on its individual policy and agreements with
other carriers. Many airlines will try to accommodate you the best
they can, but Rule 240 does not require them to do so in the case of
a force majeur.
With record load factors, delays, and skyrocketing
consumer complaints, it always works to your advantage to educate
yourself on important consumer issues. America West's agents
certainly didn't volunteer this information to me. But I knew about
rule 240, thankfully, and now so will you.
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