“Know if your carrier adheres to this rule — it could be your saving grace…
Even though U.S. airlines have weakened the Rule 240 clauses in their contracts of carriage, it still pays to have a copy with you to show the airline’s ground service agents what your rights are when your flight is badly delayed or canceled….

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.

BREAKING NEWS

“Continental Airlines will begin charging coach customers extra if they want a seat with more leg room…

Prices will vary depending on the length of a flight and popularity of the route. A spokeswoman said extra room on a Houston-New York flight might cost $59. International fliers would pay more than that…

Starting March 17, coach customers will be able to pay the charge at check-in to get an exit-row seat with at least 7 inches more legroom than the other rows..

Top-level members of Continental’s frequent-flier program — those who rack up at least 25,000 miles a year — and their traveling companions will still be able to claim the exit row without extra charge…

.Some other airlines already charge extra for exit-row seats. United, for example, sells “economy plus” seats in coach, with up to five extra inches of legroom…

On its Web site, United says the upgrade costs $49 on Denver-to-Seattle flights and $109 going from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

JetBlue also charges more for legroom. Some carriers charge extra for aisle or bulkhead seats. On US Airways, window or aisle seats can cost $5 to $30 extra. ” (via seattletimes.nwsource.com  ) by DAVID KOENIG

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read more – Continental to charge more for seats with extra leg room

Thanks to Jason B. for the tip

Microsoft’s Club Bing offers free air miles, as well as other prizes, playing free online games…

You earn certain numbers of tickets playing the online games and then redeam the tickets for the prizes…

This is a promotion for the Bing search engine…

Take advantage of the double ticket days. They double all of the tickets you earn on that day up to 1,000.

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here for FREE MILES – with Alaska, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, Midwest, and US Airways

You’ll find this reward promotion under prizes and then click travel

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“As outbreaks of the H1N1 virus inject more frazzle into already-frayed travelers, airlines and their approach to sick passengers are being scrutinized…

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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“BOOK now or play the waiting game? That’s what a lot of travelers planning a trip to Europe this summer are asking themselves as they watch the price cutting that has gone on among the major airlines this spring, yielding some pretty sweet deals for bargain hunters.

In recent weeks, travelers have been able to find nonstop round-trip flights, including taxes and fees, for $477 from Chicago to Madrid for travel in April, $312 from Newark, N.J., to Dublin in May, and $482 from Washington to London in early June.

But even though some summer fares look attractive compared with last year’s prices – about 20 percent less on average from June through August, according to Farecast.com, which tracks airfares – they are still considerably higher than those that were being offered this spring. (For instance, that Chicago to Madrid flight would now cost about $1,019 if you were looking to travel in mid-July.)

So here’s where the waiting game comes in: Will airlines go through another round of price cutting as summer nears, providing great deals for those who held off buying their tickets? Or are the relatively low summer fares being offered right now the best that travelers are going to see – especially as the stronger dollar has made Europe a more attractive option for many travelers, thus increasing the potential for fuller planes?

In recent years, that was almost never a calculation that travelers had to make. The rule of thumb was book early, book cheap.

But a look back at this past Christmas-New Year’s travel period – like summer, a time when airfares typically jump – is instructive. Many travelers found that if they waited until shortly before they flew, they were sometimes able to score considerably lower airfares than if they had booked well in advance, as airlines started cutting prices as the holidays neared and they realized a lot of seats had gone unsold.

Will summer offer a repeat of that trend? “It’s an important question given the current economy,” said Steve Danishek, a Seattle-based travel agent, who has been getting asked more frequently by clients if they should book now or wait.

His advice: “If they have firm dates – a bargain cruise in Europe with specific dates – book now because fares are very reasonable. A lower fare may occur in a week or two but may not be on dates they need.”

Of course, those who don’t want to gamble will find plenty of reason to book now. Lower fares traditionally found in the quieter shoulder seasons of May and September have already been creeping into June and August, according to Farecast.com. For example, travelers have been able to find fares between Boston and Madrid in early June for $561 compared with $840 a year ago, or New York and Paris the first week in August for $480.

And some deals have begun to pop up even for the peak month of July. Earlier this month, Air France was offering flights from New York to Zurich with a stop in Paris for $483 round trip, including taxes, on nearly every day in July, for example. And American is offering round-trip fares between London and New York starting at $707 round trip; last year at this time, that same fare would have been around $1,000.

Even better deals are being found in the front of the plane. Business-class fares to Europe, which normally run from $4,000 to $10,000 round-trip when demand is high, have been falling as corporate travel has slowed and companies have asked their employees to trade down to cheaper seats in coach.

American, for example, has been running a summer business-class sale to Europe, making it possible for a traveler to fly from New York to London in late June in coach and return in business class in July for $1,677 round trip, including taxes and fees. (That compares with $797.30 for a discounted coach seat in both directions – but you also earn 863 extra miles for flying business.)

Continental, British Airways and Delta have also been offering attractive business-class fares aimed at leisure travelers who can book well in advance, like $1,894 from Newark to Amsterdam and $1,998 from Cleveland to London. (Keep in mind that these fares usually come with more booking restrictions than a standard business-class fare.)

For those deciding on whether to book now or hold off, the timing of their trip might be a key consideration. Rick Seaney, chief executive of Farecompare.com, which tracks ticket prices, recommended booking now for trips to Europe in May or early June but holding off for flights later this summer.” (via mobile.nytimes.com ) by MICHELLE HIGGINS

Pointswizard.com Spin: There’s more to read about- Airfare Debate: Buy Now or Wait?

“As droves of holiday shoppers head to stores for refunds, many fliers are unaware they can get one when their non-refundable airline ticket drops in price.
Most airlines provide a refund if it is requested before a flier’s scheduled flight. Depending on an airline’s policy, the request can be made on the phone or at the carrier’s website.

Only Southwest Airlines (LUV) allows fliers to rebook their flight at a lower fare and refunds the difference on a credit card.

Most other airlines make up the difference with a voucher for a future flight. A change fee — ranging from $75 to $150 for a domestic flight — may apply.

Southwest’s refund policy is the most consumer friendly, a USA TODAY survey of airline policies shows. Besides giving fliers money back, the airline has no change fee.

United, (UAL) JetBlue (JBLU) and Alaska (ALK) also do not charge a change fee but reimburse with a voucher that can be used up to one year from the issue date. Continental, (CAL) Delta, (DAL) US Airways (LCC) and Northwest issue vouchers but charge a change fee.

Frequent flier Rich Szulewski, of Memphis, says the refund policy benefited him and his family last year, when, “on a whim,” he checked the price of a Memphis-Orlando ticket on Northwest a week before departure. The price had dropped $175 below what he had paid for each of three non-refundable tickets. ” (via usatoday.com) by Gary Stoller, USA TODAY

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read more about Ever buy an airline ticket and the price later fell?

“Know if your carrier adheres to this rule — it could be your saving grace
Even though U.S. airlines have weakened the Rule 240 clauses in their contracts of carriage, it still pays to have a copy with you to show the airline’s ground service agents what your rights are when your flight is badly delayed or canceled.

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)

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

WIN A TRIP TO MONTE CARLO IN LAS VEGAS and see master magician Lance Burton! From US Airways

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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.
Story continues below ↓advertisement

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 )

Pointswizard.com Spin: read more from this article

see our previous post on this click here

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“The announcement from US Airways in June that it was going to start charging coach passengers $2 for soft drinks and bottled water — water! — on all its domestic flights, as well as $1 for coffee or tea, is only the latest sign that when it comes to flying these days, there increasingly is no such thing as a free lunch.

The other major carriers have yet to follow US Airways’ lead — though it may just be a matter of time. But some airlines are finding creative ways to up the ante, by adding new nonalcoholic beverages to their offerings, like Monster Energy drinks and Vitaminwater, and charging for them. Meanwhile, all domestic airlines but Continental have replaced free meals in coach on flights in the United States with at least some food sales.

Buying your own food or drinks at the airport is one alternative to being held economic hostage by the airlines, but who has time to wait in line for water when you’re late for your connecting flight? You can also pack a lunch at home — but just make sure your salad dressing is in a three-ounce container, inside a one-quart, zip-top plastic bag to get through security.

So what exactly do you get these days? What follows is a sampling of the current food and drink policies for flights within the United States, and what you can expect to shell out for a little sustenance. (The offerings are slightly better on international flights, on which most foreign carriers continue to offer free alcoholic drinks, meals and snacks. But most United States carriers do not give out alcoholic drinks on trans-Atlantic routes.)” (via nytimes.com) by MICHELLE HIGGINS

Pointswizard.com Spin: READ MORE about specific airlines policies

“Members of US Airways’ Dividend Miles program now can earn miles using TrackItBack, a lost and found recovery service.

The partnership, which launched June 26, allows Dividend Miles members to earn 25 miles per dollar spent at www.trackitback.com/usairways through Sept. 30. After Sept. 30, Dividend Miles members can earn 20 miles per dollar spent.

“Our new partnership with TrackItBack complements our service to travelers, offering peace of mind should they misplace their cell phone, PDA or other items they travel with,” said Fernand Fernandez, director of customer loyalty programs for US Airways Group Inc” (via www.bizjournals.com/phoenix)

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