240 Me!

I was recently turned on to "Rule 240" by a friend of mine. The rule, which was created years ago by the old Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in an attempt to spell out some passenger rights. At the time, all US carriers were required to honor the rule--today, the large carriers still do, and the smaller carriers, while they may not be legally required to observe the rule, they know what it is--and will often honor it.

In a nutshell, Rule 240 stipulated that an airline facing a delayed or canceled flight had to transfer you to another carrier if 1) the second carrier could get you to your destination more quickly than the original line and 2) it had available seats. The rule did NOT apply to weather- or act-of-god-related delays, however.

I encourage you to read a recent article by Peter Greenberg of MSNBC, which does a far better job of explaining the rule, and when it should be invoked. Anyone who travels by air in the U.S. should be aware of this rule and how to use it. See below for several articles on it.

MSNBC: Stranded at the airport? Don't forget Rule 240
Independent Traveler: Rule 240: Read It, Know It, Use It
Consumerist: Don't Fly Without a Copy of Rule 240

I can't wait to ask United Airlines to '240 me' the next time a flight is delayed--and I'll be sure to report on how it worked (or didn't).