Pilots Safety Duty To Passengers

Flying can be a stressful experience for even the veteran traveler; however, some steps can be taken to ease your airport experience. These suggestions, if heeded, will undoubtedly save a traveler from some of large amount of confusion and stress found in airline travel these days.

• In choosing a flight, the earlier flights in the day have a significantly less chance of being delayed to due to the ripple effects of other flight delays. By selecting an early flight, a passenger significantly increases their chance of arriving at their destination as scheduled.
• When purchasing a ticket, using a credit card is the best medium of exchange. These purchases are protected by federal credit regulations in some instances.

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• Continually review the current fare rate for your flight after purchasing a ticket. In some instances, a flight fare may lower depending on conditions, and if you ask, an airline will adjust your fare for the lower rate.
• In the event that your flight is overbooked and you are bumped from the flight, rigorously review your ticket and the airline’s rule policy for overbooking.
• When tagging luggage, be sure to include name, home address, and all other contact information in the stick-on tags provided by the airline. Include this same information in the inside of your luggage as well for security and identification purposes.
• Call a day or two before your flight to reconfirm your reservation. Flight schedules sometimes change, and while airlines usually call to notify you if this happens, it's wise to double-check.
• Check in early. Airlines rescind specific advance seat assignments 30 minutes before scheduled departure, even if you already have your boarding pass. You can lose your entire reservation if you haven't checked in 10 minutes before scheduled departure time on a domestic flight (longer on international flights). Allow time for traffic and parking problems. If a flight is oversold, the last passengers to check in are the first to be bumped, even if they have met the 10-minute deadline.

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• Check your ticket immediately after checking in for each flight on your trip. Airline agents accidentally lift two coupons instead of one on occasion.
• If you are "bumped" because your flight is overbooked, read the Overbooking Notice in your ticket, then ask for a copy of the rules mentioned in that notice. This information applies to oversales, where your flight operates and leaves you behind; it does not apply to canceled or delayed flights.
• Before agreeing to accept a travel voucher as compensation for being bumped, ask about restrictions. For example, with some vouchers you can't make a reservation until a few days before you want to fly.
• Put a tag on the outside of your baggage with your name, home address, and home and work phone numbers. The airlines provide free stick-on tags. Most carriers also have "privacy tags" which conceal this information from passersby.
• Put the same information inside each bag, and add an address and telephone number where you can be reached at your destination city.
• Verify that the agent checking your bags attaches a destination tag to each one. Check to see that these tags show the three-letter code for your destination airport. Remove tags from previous trips to avoid confusion.
• If your bag arrives open or unlocked, check immediately to see if any of the contents are missing or damaged.
• Open your suitcase immediately when you get to your destination. Report any damage to contents or pilferage by telephone right away. Make a note of the date and time of the call, and the name and telephone number of the person you spoke with.

Updated LV

Contact an Aviation Attorney near you to find out more about your legal rights.