240 Rule

[IDKaren]

Saw an interesting travel tips show tonight and they were talking about the 240 rule for passengers. With all the problems are airlines today still bound to this rule and will they honor it? I have been snooping around the web but would like to find the exact contract for the 240 rule for US AIrways. Would anyone know what site I might check? Thanks!

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Saw an interesting travel tips show tonight and they were talking about the 240 rule for passengers. With all the problems are airlines today still bound to this rule and will they honor it? I have been snooping around the web but would like to find the exact contract for the 240 rule for US AIrways. Would anyone know what site I might check? Thanks!

 

A good while back I asked this question on this very board and got stomped on and totally trashed. Be careful. Hopefully those same people will be more gentle with you.

 

Give up on rule 240. Most agent's wouldn't know what you are talking about anyway. You can try to have a "copy" in your hand and try to explain it to them. I dont know what luck you would have with it.

 

Here is a link from CNN:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/traveltips/03/12/rule.240/index.html

 

And a link from NBC:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22900119/

[Globaliser]

Saw an interesting travel tips show tonight and they were talking about the 240 rule for passengers. With all the problems are airlines today still bound to this rule and will they honor it? I have been snooping around the web but would like to find the exact contract for the 240 rule for US AIrways. Would anyone know what site I might check?

As usual, it just demonstrates how unreliable the media are for information like this. If you see stuff on TV or in a newspaper, that's probably the first good reason for disbelieving it.

 

"Rule 240" existed in the days when domestic air travel in the US was still regulated. But since deregulation, every airline is free to do its own thing in relation to this subject matter. So you have to go and find out from your own airline what its rules are. They're usually set out in some of the contractual small print, which most airlines make available on their websites.

 

As it happens, some airlines still keep the number "240" as the clause number in the contract, so the history lives on in that sense. But it isn't "rule 240" in any real way any longer.

 

For US Airways, the contract is available via this page - and this link should take you straight to the current (7 July 2008) PDF file.

[IDKaren]

Ok Thanks! I did not know about it and thought I would pick the great brains of this thread to see what the deal was-I always learn so much on here. OK GUYS- NO SLAMMING:) I was just curious! Thanks for the replies!

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Ok Thanks! I did not know about it and thought I would pick the great brains of this thread to see what the deal was-I always learn so much on here. OK GUYS- NO SLAMMING:) I was just curious! Thanks for the replies!

 

So the rule still exist in some forum though it does not have the meaning it once did. It may even be called something else now. The article stated this so I am not sure they were telling a lie.

 

Bottom line read your contract and know your rights before you get to the airport.

 

Domestic U.S. airlines no longer provide good customer service because they don't have to. They know our choices are limited and they have us by the balls. We fly and do it their way or we drive.

 

If the legacy carriers were to go under tomorrow I wouldn't miss them.

[greatam]

PLEASE don't float around Rule 240. Delta is the only one who still has Rule 240 and that is SUBSTANTIALLY different from Rule 240 of the 70's.

 

Myself and three or four others at the Admiral's Club in Kansas City a month ago were folded over with laughter listening to a gentleman with his family going on and on about Rule 240. He was waiving a whole bunch of papers and pointing to this and that-probably one of the false media papers Globaliser was speaking about.

 

He had missed his plane (his fault-they missed the correct terminal and had to ride around the airport a couple of times). He was ranting about this and that-sounded to us like he wanted AA to charter a plane to get him to his destination-NYC.

 

The nice ladies (and they truly are nice in Kansas City) were trying their best to explain that he had to fly to Dallas first, THEN to NYC. He INSISTED that they were violating his "RULE 240" rights by making him fly to Dallas instead of through Chicago. They finally gave in-flew him through Chicago. There is a flight out of MCI just about every two hours to DFW and the next DFW flight was leaving in 25 minutes. The next flight to ORD was in 7+ hours. And he STILL had to fly to NYC.

 

After he left the counter, we all broke up laughing. Even the lady behind the desk smiled. Someone popped up "got his RULE 240 rights. You should be soooo ashamed for denying him".

 

READ the fine print and UNDERSTAND it. "Rule 240" could make a real a*** of you.

[nho9504]

http://www.aa.com/content/agency/Booking_Ticketing/Reaccom/rule_240_80.jhtml

 

The gentleman would be better off to use this page directly from AA.Com and accept the DFW connection.

 

I wonder how would he be in Admiral Club doing this? If he keeps an airline club membership, he should fly frequently enough, and thus should know better than what he did as described.

[greatam]

http://www.aa.com/content/agency/Booking_Ticketing/Reaccom/rule_240_80.jhtml

 

The gentleman would be better off to use this page directly from AA.Com and accept the DFW connection.

 

I wonder how would he be in Admiral Club doing this? If he keeps an airline club membership, he should fly frequently enough, and thus should know better than what he did as described.

 

He had an AMEX PLT card. He was just a stupid buffoon that probably travels a few times per year and somewhere heard about "Rule 240".

[wrp96]

http://www.aa.com/content/agency/Booking_Ticketing/Reaccom/rule_240_80.jhtml

 

The gentleman would be better off to use this page directly from AA.Com and accept the DFW connection.

 

I wonder how would he be in Admiral Club doing this? If he keeps an airline club membership, he should fly frequently enough, and thus should know better than what he did as described.

 

 

You can buy a daypass to the Admiral's Club which lets infrequent travelers in there.

[greatam]

You can buy a daypass to the Admiral's Club which lets infrequent travelers in there.

 

He actually had the Amex PLT laying on the counter. But he also could have had first class tickets (PAID for, NON DISCOUNT first class tickets) which would have gotten him into the AC (don't believe what the Admiral's Club brochure states-FIRST CLASS FULL FARE tickets access the AC at will) or been traveling on business or first class award/upgrade ticket to an international destination from JFK.

 

It doesn't really make a difference how he got there. HE WAS THERE with his family.

 

And he sure doesn't have to fly a bunch to visit the AC. A couple of my employees-who MAYBE fly twice a year-have BUSINESS meetings in that VERY AC. We pay the price to use the club-I use MY membership to get them in there OR get them day passes. Makes it convenient for those we do business with passing through Kansas City WITHOUT having to drive 125 miles NORTH to our Missouri office.

 

Not everyone plays the "miles" game and not everyone has to fly a lot to use the AC. I flew well over 60,000 miles one year (1993) BEFORE a FA said, "hello, MS XXXX. Why isn't your AAdvantage # on your boarding pass????"

 

Me-What is AAdvantage???? What are the benefits???? How much hassle is this AAdvantage?????

 

I could have cared less-get on a plane, fly to NYC. Get on a plane, fly to Los Angeles. I have never calculated how many miles I just "threw away" before I joined AAdvantage. The biggest perk for me is the freebie upgrades domestically and the dedicated phone line for problem solving. I thank that FA quite a few times every year.

[nho9504]

You can buy a daypass to the Admiral's Club which lets infrequent travelers in there.

 

I seriously doubt he bought the daypass - if a person does not fly frequent enough probably would not know about such, or spring up the $50 (is it still $50?) for that pass. However, AMEX Plat card is a good possibility.

 

I now rememver AMEX Plat card entitles you access to airlines lounges. In fact, Admiral Club was a recent addition, on top of the DL/NW clubs, and may be CO club as well? We feel the annual fee of the AMEX Plat is not worth it for the few times we wish we can use the lounges, as 1/2 of our flights are International Biz so the domestic legs gain access based on the same day Int'l flights in Biz. Actually if your access is based on the Int'l biz / f flights, you get 2 drink chits at Admiral Club. Otherwise, you pay for your drinks should you want one. If we are on arrival from Int'l flight and connect to domestic flight going home, I would exchange the chits for the Naked Juice bottles to go.

 

There is another card that allows you 3 free visits to Priority Club (independent lounges) per year, and free annual membership. It is the Citi AMEX Platinum Card (Not to confuse it with the AMEX Plat card). First year fee waived, the benes incl earning City ThankYou Points at the ratio of 5% / 3% (everyday / everything else), free one year membership of Priority Club and 3 free visit (subsequent visit is $24 per visit), free Citi's credit monitoring service for a year. Second year the card would have an annual fee of $125? (forgot). However, one can always sign up for one year, get the 15K TYP sign up bonus, uses the card for a year then cancel it and do it all over again. If your credit score is relatively high, doing so would not affect you a single iodat.