2. Look at your own airline’s flights. As noted above, if most airlines are canceling flights and a carrier claims they will fly all their planes, that’s not realistic. But if they are keeping just one or two planes scheduled then they usually have some expectation of getting them aloft. Delta and American today, for example, each had ONE flight make it from JFK to San Francisco.

3. How big a plane are you booked on? If an airline is canceling some percentage of their flights due to weather, they will try to fly the biggest planes to get the most people to their destinations. Also, commuter planes are more likely to have problems flying in iffy weather.” (via consumertraveler.com ) by JANICE HOUGH

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read more about - 6 clues that your flight may be canceled or not

Before the deregulation of the U.S. airline industry in 1978, every U.S. airline had to follow the same set of rules — including those dealing with “irregularities” such as canceled flights…
In those days, airline fares and routes were regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Board, the predecessor to today’s Federal Aviation Administration.

One of these rules, number 240, specified that if an airline couldn’t get you to your destination on time, it was required to put you on a competitor’s flight if it would get you there faster than your original airline’s net flight. Airlines were even required to put you in first class if that’s all that was available.

They rarely advertised this perk, however, since airlines naturally didn’t want to fork over scarce cash to fly customers on a rival carrier. But seasoned road warriors have always known they could approach the counter and say the magic

words  ”240 me” to be put on the next flight out.

Airlines formed after deregulation — such as JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit — were never required to follow these rules. Even so, some of these newer airlines may attempt to put you on another airline if there’s no other choice.

“While we don’t have a traditional Rule 240, we will purchase confirmed seats as necessary on another airline to get customers to their final destination in the event of irregularities within our control,” Todd Burke, JetBlue Airways’ vice president for corporate communications, told Airfarewatchdog.com.

In addition, if there’s a “significant delay,” JetBlue’s compensation may include a “partial or full refund,” in addition to accommodation on another airline.

However, in recent years, as “legacy” carriers such as American, United, and Delta have struggled to remain profitable, and some have slashed costs to emerge from bankruptcy, many have quietly weakened their Rule 240s.

United Airlines, for instance, no longer states in its contract of carriage that it will fly you in first class on a competitor, if that’s all that’s available, although it will transport you in coach class on another airline.

Although Delta Air Lines still has a Rule 240 in its contract, it no longer makes any mention of transporting passengers on other airlines in the event of a flight disruption.

Continental Airlines will upgrade a delayed passenger only on its own flights—not on a competitor’s—and only if doing so will get you to your destination earlier than would otherwise be the case.

US Airways has nothing in its terms of transportation concerning Rule 240, though spokesperson Amy Kudwa said the airline still applies the rule on all flights except international flights.

The good news is that Northwest Airlines still has a very traditional contract, little changed from the days of regulation. It will put you on another airline, in first class if necessary, if your original flight is delayed 60 minutes or longer.

It’s important to emphasize that these rules generally apply to situations within the airline’s control, such as mechanical problems. But if the flight irregularity results from a “force majeure event” such as bad weather, a riot, or a work stoppage, then all bets are off. And the legacy carriers may not have agreements with their newer competitors such as JetBlue and Southwest, so that they might not re-route you on those carriers.

Even if you are flying an airline that adheres to Rule 240, its employees may be reluctant to rewrite your ticket on a competitor because of the financial implications of doing so. So it pays to print out and carry a copy of the contract of carriage and present it to the gate agent if necessary.” By George Hobica (via msnbc.msn.com)

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to see what your airlines policy is.
Know your rights.

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The airlines say they are listening to fliers’ concerns and, in several cases, reacting. Some are even specifically looking for swine flu…

Earlier this month, a woman traveling home to Hawaii was ordered by flight attendants to leave a United Airlines plane set to depart Tampa, Fla… The passenger, Mitra Mostoufi, had become suddenly nauseous after taking restless-leg medicine and requested an airsickness bag…

According to Mostoufi, one flight attendant responded: “You’re a health risk,” while another told Mostoufi she might have swine flu and, therefore, had to exit… Although United Airlines suspected Mostoufi carried H1N1, still another United employee tried to rebook Mostoufi on an American Airlines flight, Mostoufi said. She reached Honolulu the next day aboard a United plane.

Flight crews are responsible for determining when passengers are visibly too ill to fly — to protect the “safety and health of all travelers onboard” — and the airline was within its rights to bump Mostoufi, according to United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson.

Should flight attendants, however, have the authority — or be expected — to diagnose swine flu?

‘From H1N1 to heart attacks’
At US Airways, “all employees have information on how to help passengers displaying symptoms of any medical issue, from H1N1 to heart attacks,” said spokesperson Valerie Wunder. “We follow the procedures and protocols as advised by the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], who lists the symptoms of H1N1.”

Problem is, six of the 10 swine flu symptoms listed by the CDC are outwardly silent: sore throat, fever, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. (The other symptoms may include a cough, runny nose and, sometimes, diarrhea and vomiting). Will flight attendants start feeling passengers’ foreheads as they simultaneously scan their ticket stubs?

.Affordability trumps social responsibility
“Ideally, sick people should stay off planes,” said organizational behavior consultant Mary Federico, a New Yorker who has “suffered the consequences” of jetting with contagious seatmates. “But it’s unrealistic to expect that to happen … There is little or no flexibility with flights. Availability and cost and penalties are issues.”

According to an early November poll conducted by the Consumer Travel Alliance, almost 73 percent of the passengers questioned said they would fly with swine flu rather than pay airline rebooking fees (which can cost as much as $250). TripAdvisor.com posed the same query in late October and, according to the Web site, 51 percent of its respondents said they, too, would lug their bags and their H1N1 germs onto scheduled flights rather than pony up change fees.

What’s more, most passengers check in online or at an airport kiosk and “gate agents barely look at a passenger — they only grab your boarding pass,” said JoAnne Kochneff, who owns Travel by Gagnon in Grand Rapids, Mich. “Their job is to board the aircraft as quickly as possible … When would it come to the attention of the airline that someone might be suffering from H1N1?”

Fees waived — with a note from your doctor
To keep sick travelers from flying, United, Continental, Northwest and AirTran Airways all have opted to waive change fees for passengers who postpone their trips due to illness. In most cases, the customers must fax the airline a doctor’s note to dodge the change fee.

“If a passenger has H1N1, we don’t want them to travel any more than they don’t want to travel,” said AirTran spokesman Christopher White. “It’s best for them and best for us that they don’t fly.”

For people who possess non-refundable American Airlines or US Airways tickets, however, change and cancellation fees will still be applied if those customers reschedule their trips due to swine flu, according to spokespersons at both airlines.

“I can understand that the airlines are concerned about bogus medical excuses — they may worry some of the flying public will try to take advantage of the H1N1 scare and use their ‘flu’ as a way to circumvent an airline change or cancellation fee,” said Ann Lombardi, a travel agent at Atlanta’s “The Trip Chicks.” “I know, too, that the airlines are struggling financially and may be reluctant to initiate laxer rules … But something has got to give. And the ball is in the airline’s court.”” ( via msnbc.msn.com) by Bill Briggs

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read the rest of Swine flu puts airlines, travelers in tough spot

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Fall travelers can also make their miles go farther if they book award travel in the American AAdvantage or US Airways Dividend Miles programs. Both airlines offer special off-peak awards at discounted prices. You can save between 5,000 and 20,000 miles off the regular award rates.

During the month of September only, US Airways offers award tickets between the U.S. or Canada and the Caribbean for 25,000 miles in coach and 50,000 miles in business or first class. Regular peak-season prices are 30,000 and 60,000 miles, respectively.

American has a more robust off-peak award program. Here’s how much you’ll pay for flights from the U.S. and Canada:

25,000 miles to the Caribbean and Mexico between September 7 and November 14 (regularly 30,000 miles)
30,000 miles to Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela between September 7 and November 14 (regularly 35,000 miles)
40,000 miles to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay between August 16 and November 30 (regularly 60,000 miles)
40,000 miles to Europe between October 15 and May 15 (regularly 60,000 miles)
50,000 miles to Japan between October 1 and April 30 (regularly 65,000 miles)
Other destinations may be off-peak at other times of year, so don’t forget to check the American AAdvantage site again. With the miles you save on your fall off-peak travel, you may be able to afford a second trip courtesy of American or US Airways. That is, if you can find an available award seat during the rest of the year.” ( via smartertravel.com )

The Pointswizard.com Spin: Check award availability today for best selection.