What to Do to Avoid Becoming a Stranded Airline Passenger

You are on your way to your favorite niece's wedding. You are on the last leg of your trip. One more flight and you will be there. Excited with anticipation of visiting family and old friends and watching the niece whom has long grown from the little baby girl that always brought you dandelion bouquets into a beautiful young woman, take her wedding vows has you anxious. You watch the clock and listen for the boarding announcement. What you hear instead is due to technical difficulty the flight has been cancelled. The airline representative apologies for the inconvenience and concludes the next flight will depart the next day at the hour you are suppose to be watching your niece take her wedding vows. You are furious. What can you do?

The extent of passenger rights you have at your disposal in a situation like this has a lot to do with where you are when it happens and which airline you are traveling with. Currently, there is no nationwide passenger bill of rights in the United States. The U.S. Department of Transportation has established a set of voluntary guidelines for the airline industry but they have not been implemented on a national level and there are no mandatory rules in place to force airline company compliance. Some states have taken it upon themselves to establish a mandatory passenger bill of rights for the passenger travel industry but have been unable to standardize their rules; therefore implementation is not very effective.

Of all countries worldwide, the United States have the least consumer friendly passenger flight right laws. Here, each individual airline determines what they will or will not due for the passengers. If you get stranded in an airport without your luggage, even if it is a result of their short comings, they are not honor bound by law, in most situations, to assist you, locate alternative transportation for you, or house and feed you until your delayed flight is ready. To avoid the negative publicity, which could arise in the event of a large passenger delay, some type of courtesy may be extended. But if you are a lone stranger or part of a small group, you may find yourself stranded until their next flight is available.

To find out what passenger rights do apply to you in case of a delayed flight, you should check your airlines contract of carriage which you will generally find posted on their Web site. Since every airline has its own individual polices, if you are flying multiple airlines, you should familiarize your self with each airlines current policies, before your flight, to help you avoid potential problems later. There is a Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights who are advocating Congress aggressive pursue this needed consumer legislation. You can join them or just check out what they are doing at their website; www.strandedpassengers.blogspot.com. But above all things remember; check your passenger rights before your flight. You would not want to miss your favorite nieces' wedding because you failed to do so, would you?

Resource: Personal Experience