James Travel

James TravelPOINTS – Travel Tid-Bits  12/02/2009

Traveling over the holidays can be stressful and downright miserable if you are bumped from your flight.  Here are a few tips on overbooked flights and what to do if you are bumped.  The airlines are flying and operating with fewer flights these days which means fewer seats during the busy holiday season.  Most airlines overbook their scheduled flights to compensate for “no-shows,” and there is a pretty good chance your flight is going to be oversold if you are flying during the busy holiday travel days.  If you are bumped when an “over sale” occurs, the D.O.T requires airlines to ask people who aren’t in a hurry to give up their seats voluntarily, in exchange for compensation. Passengers bumped against their will are entitled to compensation.  Here are four things to know about being bumped or agreeing to give up your seat voluntarily.  

 1. What are the Rules. The DOT rules require airlines to ask willing passengers to give up their seat in exchange for compensation before bumping another passenger in-voluntarily.  If you decide to give up your seat voluntarily, ask the gate agent when is the next flight on which the airline can confirm your seat?  What kind of compensations will the airline provide i.e. travel certificates, free tickets, other amenities such as meal vouchers, overnight accommodations if the next available flight is not until the next day etc?   There is no stated compensation level an airline has to give volunteers, so gate agents will negotiate with passengers for a mutually acceptable amount of travel compensation and other benefits.  If the carrier offers a free ticket, ask about the restrictions, how long is the ticket valid for and are there other travel restrictions associated with the free ticket.  Most importantly, how far in advance can you make reservations for the free ticket and are there restrictions on the class of service.

 2. If you are bumped in-voluntarily.  The DOT requires each airline to give all passenger a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the airline decides who gets on an oversold flight and who doesn’t.  Passengers who are bumped are entitled to an on-the spot payment of denied boarding compensation. The amount depends on the price of your ticket and the length of the delay.   —-$400 Payment – If you are bumped and the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to get you to your final destination between 1 and 2 hours after your original arrival time ( between 1 – 4 hours on international flights), the carrier must pay you an amount equal to your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $400 maximum benefit.  (Including later connections) within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time, there is no compensation.  No Compensation – If you are bumped involuntarily and the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to get you to your final destination within 1 hour of your scheduled arrival.  —-$800 Payment – The airlines find substitute transportation that puts you into your destination more than 2 hours later than your originally scheduled arrival, (4 hours internationally). If the carrier declines to make any substitute travel arrangements for you, the compensation doubles (200% of your fare, $800 maximum). -          Should I keep my original ticket?  If you decided to make your own arrangements, you can request an “involuntary refund” for the ticket for the flight you were bumped from.  The denied boarding compensation is payment for our inconvenience.          

3. Compensation Eligibility.   In order to receive compensation for denied boarding you must have a confirmed reservation and a ticket issued for the scheduled travel destination.  As long as you did not cancel your reservation or miss a reconfirmation deadline.  You must be checked in by the airlines check-in deadline, which is the time before the scheduled departure.  For domestic flights most carriers require you to be at the departure gate between 20 and 45 minutes before scheduled departure.  Check-in for international departures can be as much as 3 hours prior to departure.    If you miss the check-in deadline, you may have list your reservation and your right to denied boarding compensation if the flight is oversold.  These rules do not apply for airlines that use flights that operate with plans that hold fewer than 30 passengers.  Also the do not apply for flights in-bound into the U.S.  

4.Who gets Bumped. Typically the carriers look for passengers that are the last to check-in.  If a flight is oversold and the carrier cannot find enough volunteers, they start looking at when passengers were checked in.  The last to check-in are sometimes the first to get bumped.  How to avoid being bumped, check-in early and allow extra time.  Finally, don’t be a “no-show.” If you are holding confirmed reservations you don’t plan to use, notify the airline. If you don’t, they will cancel all onward or return reservations on your trip.

Andy & Don James together with their my sister Ann, own and operate James & Aggie TravelPoints located in Boulder and Ft. Collins.   The family business started  back in 1957 when Don James Jr. open the 2nd travel agency in Boulder Colorado.  In 1981, the three  siblings took over the business. After 28 years of working together, they  are extremely proud to consider ourselves a successful family business.  And the family tradition will continue, two sons this past year have joined the business for the third generation! James TravelPOINTS – American Express Representative Office1750 14th StreetBoulder, Co. 80302PH: 303-442-2340×224 www.travelpoints.com Aggie TravelPOINTS – American Express Representative Office311 South CollegeFt. Collins, Colorado 80524PH: 1-970-482-1235

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