Secrets Airlines Don’t Want You to Know That Could Save You Thousands of Dollars

When we were little, we learned to conveniently leave out details of our mistakes; like it was your foot that kicked the soccer ball in the house, breaking that fancy and expensive lamp. When airlines make the same mistakes, they will do the same thing. These secrets airlines don’t want you to know, could save you thousands of dollars…

*Baggage – it’s an airline’s profit nowadays, and if it is delayed – not lost – you have a right to monetary compensation. If you’re lucky, airline will offer you some sort of voucher, but you are entitled to a check of up to $3,300 for luggage delayed on a domestic flight. As long as you have some sort of proof you were packing a wedding dress, DVF leather jacket, or other pricey piece, you should be reimbursed.

Section 254.4 “Carriers shall not limit its liability for provable direct or consequential damages relating to lost, damaged or delayed baggage to less than $3,300 per passenger. To meet the requirements of Part 254 and the requirements implicit in 49 U.S.C. § 41712, carriers should remain willing to cover all reasonable, actual and verifiable expenses related to baggage loss, damage or delay up to the amount stated in Part 254.”

*Canceling and rescheduling flights varies widely. Nearly every different carrier has a different policy. Even ticket types through the same line can have different rules. In most cases, low fares or award tickets typically have different penalties or are simply non-refundable. How you booked also matters. If you booked via a third party site, the policy then reverts on the site you booked the ticket through. So, if you booked via Orbitz, it may be non-refundable through the third party site even though it’s a refund-friendly Southwest Airlines ticket.

One arguably unethical practice is to change the ticket to a later date that fits the penalty-free cancellation window. Then, passengers who can’t make the flight, cancel. However, it’s better off to be a savvy consumer and look into refund policies before you buy and consider purchasing them through the most lenient outlet. Also note that even with a non-refundable ticket, if the flight is severely delayed, canceled, or has a schedule change/route change that is not caused by an emergency, that ticket becomes 100% refundable.

*We have covered being bumped from flights on our post – Airline Passenger Rights for Bumped, Canceled or Delayed Flights and Bumped from Your Flight – You Have Rights to Compensation, so you know you are entitled to a check – money, not those awful vouchers – up to $1,300 if you’re bumped from a flight due to overbooking AND the airline cannot get you on another plane within two hours of your originally scheduled arrival.

BUT – did you know you are entitled to cash even if the airline can get you to your destination within the limitations set by the US Department of Transportation (DOT):

*Between one and two hours of your scheduled arrival on a domestic flight
*Between one and four hours of your scheduled arrival on an international trip

Make sure you ask for 200% percent of the one-way fare to your destination (up to $650) if you are bumped due to overbooking.

*An airline is not legally allowed to force you to stay on a plane delayed for takeoff beyond three hours on a domestic flight or four hours on an international flight. Also, if they don’t get the beverage cart rolling after two hours, they are violating DOT’s rules.