Rule 240: Understanding Your Rights as an Airline Passenger

I do not travel by plane enough to have ever used Airline Rule 240, but knowing about it can be the stranded airline traveler's friend. For those who do not know about Airline 240, it applies to airlines that operate in the United States and it can be the stranded airline passenger's best friend.

Rule 240 grants airline passengers of carriers based in the US certain rights if their flight has been delayed through some fault of the airline, it does not apply if the plane has been delayed due to inclement weather or some other condition beyond the control of the airport or the airlines. If the passenger's flight is delayed because of something such as mechanical failure, customers may be entitled to services such as free meals, accommodations, phone calls or other simple services to make up for the inconvenience of the delayed flight. Before regulation of the airlines, it was a federal requirement for the airlines to provide these services. After the deregulation of airlines, it means that while many of carriers do carry a version of Rule 240, not all domestic carriers do so.

If a passenger finds himself in a situation where an airline's delay may cause the passenger to wonder about his Rule 240 rights, it is best to check the airline 's policy. Some airlines will be helpful to their customers. Other carriers may need to be reminded of their responsibilities. As Rule 240 only applied to airlines based in the United States, foreign carriers were never obligated to pay vouchers for meals or accommodations depending on how long the flight got delayed.

Airline passengers who find themselves in a situation where the remnants of Rule 240 may need to be invoked should be firm albeit polite about insisting on their rights. Airline customers may sometimes find it necessary even after invoking Rule 240 and showing a copy of their ticket voucher to continue going up the chain of the command should the ticket agent prove obstinate. For those who, like me, who do not do a lot of flying and in fact rarely leave an area within 50 miles of their place of birth, Rule 240 probably will have little to no meaning to them. Then again, if I went long distance traveling by plane may not exactly be my first choice. Buses and trains are cheaper, even though as far as I know similar protections do not exist for those modes of travel.

Sources:

http://airtravel.about.com/cs/delays/a/rule240.htm

http://www.mytravelrights.com/travellaw.cfm?ai=3