It's age-old advice, "Read the Small Print" or "Read the Entire Contract Before Signing", and it's good advice... advice that many of us don't follow.
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.
 Email to a Friend
|
