Airline Conditions And Contracts Of Carriage

With the airline industry continually in a state of flux, and the busiest travel season coming up, it's important to know your rights, and what the airlines have committed to providing to you when you buy a ticket. So we've included links to many of the carriers' documents that spell out, sometimes in painful detail, just what they are promising to deliver.

These contracts cover items including: oversale /overbooking situations; baggage; refunds, delays, cancellations, diversions; the oft-quoted (and misquoted) Rule 240; Force Majeure (which can include anything from extreme weather to acts of war); and everything else related to your travel.

Yes, they're written in "legal-ese" and yes most of them are over 30 pages long, but we believe it's truly worth your time to go through these documents and perhaps highlight the areas that most concern you.

Written by the airline's legal counsel they are, of course, slanted towards the airline. If you see something you don't understand, contact that airline and ask for clarification.

Keep a copy with you when you travel (you might be surprised how many airline employees are not familiar with these documents) and refer to them if necessary. Stay calm, be polite, but as one clothing store says in it's advertisements "an educated consumer is our best customer."

Some of these links take you to the actual document, others take you to a downloadable menu as some carriers have their documents summarized, or broken down by Domestic or International sections, or by carrier/partner/affiliate. Some require a version of Adobe or Acrobat Reader to be downloaded in order to view the complete document. The documents are usually available at all airlines' ticket counters or you can request a copy to be mailed to you. Charter-type airlines will also have their own Contracts of Carriage, visit their websites or contact them for a copy.

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