“A quarter-century ago, Ralph Nader’s Aviation Consumer Action Project fought for passenger rights and won major victories, such as the requirement that airlines compensate passengers who are bumped from an oversold flight.

Today, the organization exists in name only, and as carriers focus on controlling costs to stay afloat, consumer protections are getting short shrift: Congress recently let lapse a rule that protected passengers from losing the value of their tickets if they book on an airline that goes out of business.

Apart from an increase in the compensation offered to bumped passengers, there’s been little progress on other fronts. Flight delays have been at record levels for the past two years, with one of every four planes arriving late, and more fliers are enduring long waits on the tarmac. The government’s response has been to form a passel of task forces and commissions, a time-honored Washington tactic.

On each of these panels there is at least one representative from the many organizations that claim to represent the interests of fliers. A look at these self-styled advocates suggests why they haven’t been more effective.

Flyersrights.org has the highest profile, though it was founded less than two years ago by former Napa Valley real estate agent Kate Hanni, after she and her family were stuck on an airport tarmac for nine hours. Hanni runs her organization on a shoestring budget, and its roughly 25,000 members need only sign a petition in favor of a passenger bill of rights to join. Her main goal: a law that would guarantee basic amenities to travelers trapped on a plane for more than three hours. The cause has had some setbacks: A “bill of rights” enacted in New York State was overturned on appeal by the airlines, and in October, Congress left town without acting on a federal version of the bill. Hanni also runs a hotline for fliers to call while stuck on a delayed plane.

The Air Travelers Association appears to be a one-man operation run by Maryland-based attorney and former airline executive David Stempler ” ( via www.msnbc.msn.com) by By Barbara Peterson Condé Nast Traveler

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“Question: In light of how the airlines are cutting back their schedules this fall, what can I do — and what recourse do I have — if my flight is canceled?

Answer: As airlines look to cut capacity, a lot are rescheduling passengers on other flights — but some aren’t advising passengers of the changes ahead of time, according to Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com.

But before you even get to the airport, there are several things you can do to prevent a potentially messy experience.
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Banas recommends signing up for alerts through your airline or a booking Web site (such as Orbitz, Travelocity or Expedia) to keep you informed about your flight and any changes. These alerts, which can be directed to an e-mail address, cell phone or PDA, are especially important as your flight time approaches, Banas said.

If your flight is canceled completely for a reason within the airline’s control (read: not weather), Banas suggests being prepared with some information that can get you on another flight as soon as possible.

First, take a look at flights leaving around the time of your departed flight. It’ll save you time and effort at the airport if your flight gets canceled, and will give you a leg up when negotiating for a change to your ticket.

She also recommends printing out the airlines’ “Contract of Carriage” before you arrive at the airport. This contract will spell out what your rights are in the event of a canceled flight.

Fact File
A look at U.S. airlines’ domestic capacity cuts

AirTran Airways: Plans for capacity to fall 7 percent to 8 percent between September and December.

Alaska Airlines: Its parent company has said the carrier’s fourth-quarter mainline capacity will be cut by 5 percent compared with 2007.

American Airlines: Plans to cut its U.S. flying by up to 12 percent after the busy summer travel season ends.

Continental Airlines: Its plans include reducing flights in the U.S. this fall by about 10 percent.

Delta Air Lines: It has said it intends to cut domestic capacity by 13 percent during the second half of the year. A spokeswoman said a good portion of that would come during the fall.

JetBlue Airways: It has said it expects September capacity to be down 10 percent and does not expect to grow next year.

Northwest Airlines: It is planning to cut fourth-quarter consolidated domestic capacity by 7 percent to 8 percent.

United Airlines: Fourth-quarter mainline domestic capacity will shrink 16 percent compared with the previous year.

US Airways: It will reduce capacity 6 percent to 8 percent on domestic flights in the fourth quarter.
Source: The Associated Press
Although each airline has a slightly different contract of carriage, most airlines will rebook you on a flight within four hours of the original flight. If the airline can’t rebook you within that time, you can ask for a hotel voucher. Food vouchers are also negotiable.

When you get word of that canceled flight, Banas recommends calling the airline right away. Standing in the customer service line with hundreds of other passengers will likely cause you more headaches and might not get you the speedy change you would like. Instead, Banas suggests doing both: Dial the airline on your cell phone while you’re standing in the customer service line.” ( via www.msnbc.msn.com )

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“These days it may feel like a miracle if your flight arrives on time, but the truth is flights have always been subject to delays—whether they’re caused by stormy weather, mechanical problems, or something else entirely. When one airport experiences delays, it can cause a ripple effect across the entire country within minutes. You’ve experienced the ripple effect if you’ve been told that weather delays in Orlando are holding up your flight from Las Vegas, where the skies are sunny.
But it’s not your imagination if you suspect the delays have gotten worse in recent years. Doug Church, spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, attributes “overscheduling [at the] busiest airports” to increased delays. Church explains that “at New York (JFK), the airlines have scheduled more than 50 flights to depart in one hour’s time on weekday mornings. Yet the airport can only safely depart 45 aircraft when the weather’s good. The resulting overflow of delayed aircraft spills into the next hour, and the next, and so on.”

Throw in pilots reaching their maximum work-hour limits, and other crew and employee shortage problems … and you have the summer of 2007. There is no flexibility left in the system, either the airlines’ operations, or the busy airports.”

Lisa Wright, a captain for Delta Connection carrier Big Sky Airline, says “from my perspective, weather is primarily the cause for delays. The next most frequent cause would be [equipment breaking], and the next would be crew availability and scheduling issues.”

What are your rights if your flight is delayed?

The Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Transportation (DOT) explains that because airlines don’t guarantee their schedules, passengers don’t have many—if any—rights when delayed. The federal government does not require airlines to compensate passengers affected by a delayed flight. If your flight is cancelled, however, most airlines will re-route you on another flight.

Instead of simply praying for an on-time arrival or departure, practice the following defensive measures before you travel to help ensure you aren’t negatively affected by air-travel delays:

1. Avoid delay-prone flights: Airlines publish on-time averages for their flights. Before you book, make sure you’re on a flight that has a decent chance of arriving on time.

2. Know your airline: Certain airlines (ahem, Northwest) are known for labor disruptions and major incidents of flight cancellations and delays. Save yourself the hassle and fly another carrier whenever possible. The DOT publishes a monthly Air Travel Consumer Report http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/ with statistics of delayed and cancelled flights. Try to avoid the worst offenders.

3. Book a non-stop: If your flight goes directly from City A to City B, you won’t get stuck in a connecting city along the way. Remember that a direct flight is not non-stop.

4. Fly mornings: Whenever possible, book the first flight of the day. Delays tend to worsen throughout the day, so if you’re first in the air, you’ll be able to avoid many delays. Additionally, since the busiest times to travel are Mondays through Fridays from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., traveling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays may improve your odds.

5. Leave enough time for connections: When booking, assume that your departing flight will leave late and plan your connection time accordingly. Schedule at least one hour for a connection—particularly important if your itinerary calls for stops in Atlanta, Chicago (O’Hare), Los Angeles, or any of the New York area airports. Give yourself even more time if you have to change airlines or go through security again.

6. Use small airports: Avoid airline hubs whenever possible. “Secondary” airports are usually less congested and less prone to delays.

7. Know the rules: Familiarize yourself with your airline’s rules for identification, baggage limitations, and check-in and gate times. If you’re late checking in or showing up at the departure gate, you may miss your flight. Late passengers are also the first to be involuntarily bumped. Having to gate-check your too-large carry-on can cause delays as well.

8. Be early: Arrive at the airport with plenty of time to park, check in, and pass through security. You can find average TSA wait times for every airport in the country before you leave for the airpor” [Via USATODAY.COM

The Pointswizard.com Spin:
Go to the website below and print out and take with you a copy of Rule 240 for the airline you are traveling on.
http://www.mytravelrights.com/travellaw.cfm?ai=3