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Stranded at the airport? Don't forget Rule 240

msnbc.msn.com — Travel Editor Peter Greenberg explains the unwritten rule that can get you on your way when your flight is canceled or delayed.

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  • rhylan, on 01/30/2008, -145/+536 Diggs and this is on the front page? Wtf?
    • thashiz, on 01/30/2008, -4/+11This is actually really good to know. I'm flying to Wondercon in a few weeks to work a booth, and we can't afford to be late.
      • rhylan, on 01/30/2008, -17/+2Not saying anything about the content, just that it took so little Diggs to get there
        • Aupajo, on 01/30/2008, -0/+8Speed of votes? Does anyone have a good breakdown of the new algorithm yet?
        • DarkSamus, on 01/30/2008, -3/+7the algorithm killed the whaaaambulancing "top diggers"
    • lcarsdeveloper, on 01/30/2008, -7/+97What a waste of a comment, seriously in nearly every single thread some moron says "Only XX Diggs and this is on the front page?".
      • meruru, on 01/30/2008, -0/+45It's the new "Down after XX diggs?"
        • jestrella, on 01/30/2008, -5/+1i just want to remind you and specifically you that, X is a variable for any number of digits in the number. Why am I telling you? because i know your work and you always do stuff like this.

          //Joking, I'm bored
      • JayKeaton, on 01/30/2008, -6/+2Only 14 Diggs and your comment is on the front page of the comments section? Wtf?
    • ryan83189, on 01/30/2008, -2/+38-27 diggs, and the first comment? WTF?
    • suzywang3000, on 01/30/2008, -21/+1digg is not user driven - it's run by crooks.
  • notepaddotexe, on 01/30/2008, -42/+5Too many limitations around it.
    • BingoPower, on 01/30/2008, -0/+19That's fine, you can sleep in the airport then.
  • makkaveli19, on 01/30/2008, -4/+56Wow this could have helped me during my holiday traveling. :( i had 2 flights cancelled.
    Dugg for useful info.
    • roosterjm2k2, on 01/30/2008, -2/+9Or it could not have...

      That rule, since the deregulation of air travel, is completely optional to the carriers...
      • mcquitty, on 01/30/2008, -0/+5As someone who travels over 100,000 miles annually, I would have to agree. Even with my canceled flight last week, Rule 240 didn't help. 25 years ago, it might have.
        • slowmo, on 01/31/2008, -0/+1As someone else who flies over 100k/year I would have to disagree. I am an MVP Gold on Alaska and Premier Exec on United and every time my flight has been delayed I have been able to either catch another flight, though usually not a direct flight, or been put up in a hotel with a meal voucher. That's the thing that surprised me about the article is that the author never mentioned that if you are delayed due to a mechanical failure, the airline is obligated to give you free stay at the hotel of their choice and a meal voucher.
          Even if you miss a flight due to traffic or whatever they will usually put you on another flight if you ask. I missed a 3:30pm Alaska flight from ORD to SEA and the next available flight wasn't until 3:30pm the next day. I needed to get home ASAP so I took a 4:15pm flight to Anchorage, AK then a 12:15am flight to SEA. While I flew about 5 hours more than I would have, and didn't arrive in SEA until 5:00am the next morning, I still arrived much sooner than I originally would have. So the moral of the story is that it doesn't hurt to ask to catch another flight, even if it takes you way the hell out of your way. If time is of the essence, there is usually a work-around.
          • rootneg2, on 01/31/2008, -0/+2that mvp gold and premer exec status get you alot of perks that most flyers do not...
    • runner108, on 01/30/2008, -0/+8Last year I was traveling through O'Hare on the way to Wisconsin.. made it to O'Hare at 10:00AM and due to weather was still stuck there at 11:00pm .. United kept saying it was due to weather and I would be stuck there for 3 days. I met a girl who was in the same situation.. she said she was going to try American and I should walk her to her airplane.. sure enough American got me on a flight in less 2 minutes of talking to an attendant. Didn't know there was a rule about this but I definitely learned something valueable. Although I was sort of bummed as the girl and I were going to split a hotel if we both got stranded for the night ;-) oh well!
      • zclip, on 08/02/2008, -0/+1I don't buy it ... you're on digg, mate, which means the probability of a chick letting you into her hotel room is negligible, at best ... if you'd told us ... well, pretty much anything but that, we' probably would have believed it.
    • TheCount, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2No it couldn't have. If you read the article:

      "The newer carriers — those that do not have interline agreements with the major legacy airlines, like JetBlue, Southwest and Air Tran, never had Rule 240 to deal with, and thus don't, as a matter of company policy, endorse tickets over to other carriers"

      Basically, what he's stating as a Rule is no longer in fact a rule, and so any airline can wiggle out of it if they choose to. It sounds like he got lucky and has thus been harping on it for years and wrote the article to justify himself after being called out on it. His "Rule" is nothing more than tradition or courtesy, and the airlines of today care little about either of those in the face of what were dwindling sales and a supposedly poor economy. If you go to an airline and try to invoke the rule, assuming they don't just accept it, that's all you can do. You can't protest or claim it's a law or sue, because this thing doesn't ACTUALLY exist.
    • Namco, on 08/05/2008, -0/+1I thought this was some ***** 4chan joke, then I saw that it was a Peter Greenberg article about rule 240.... I didn't know Peter Greenberg was on 4chan. :P
  • clintard, on 01/30/2008, -29/+4I am totally psyched about this! Hope it's true! I get stranded a LOT i absolutely hate dealing with the assholes behind the counter, 240 BITCH!
    • aigulf, on 01/30/2008, -0/+37FTA: "The only real change? You can't demand to invoke Rule 240 because it's no longer a rule. But you can ask. And people do that successfully every day."
    • fcrow, on 01/30/2008, -0/+60You still have to ask nicely, they are not obligated to do it.
    • SlvrEagle23, on 01/30/2008, -0/+6I must've had a string of good luck...on the last 10 flights I've taken, I didn't encounter a single rude team member either on the ground or in the air. They were friendly, accommodating, and they made not even a single hesitation in hooking me up with other flights for the one time my original flight was cancelled.

      Hell, in two of those cases I showed up at the airport a few hours early (just in case), walked up to the counter and asked if I could just hop on the earlier flight instead of my original one, and they handed me a new boarding pass and off I went, ahead of schedule. I don't know if this is something every airline does, but I know American does it...and considering they provide one of the two flights out of my little dinky regional airport, I don't have too much of a choice.

      For all I hear about the airlines being incompetent, evil, and wrong, it's a wonder I haven't noticed this in my travels.
      • skinny01, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3I don't fly much but surprisingly I had the same thing happen. Arriving at the airport 2 hours early for my flight and they offered me a seat on the one leaving right then and there.
      • GOVATENT, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1I had the same thing happen. I took a flight from Miami (where i live) to New York. (I was stopping in New York on my way to Poland.) When we got back to New York from Poland. My flight was early. So when I was checking in early to head back to Miami, they got me on an early flight back to Miami. It was very kind of that person. I flew with Song (Delta)
      • akatherder, on 01/30/2008, -0/+5Just to state the obvious, airline employees deal with a LOT of stressed out assholes and douchebags. An ounce of courtesy and politeness goes a looooong way when dealing with them.

        You don't have to be an ass kisser, but when you ask them a question and actually thank them instead of walking away or resenting their answer will probably surprise them.
        • SlvrEagle23, on 01/31/2008, -0/+2Yeah...it's not like you have to sit there and say "wow, you guys are wonderful, I just love flying here now", but a nice "thanks, I really appreciate it" goes an incredibly long way, not only in the airport but in plenty of other places.

          Maybe it's just that almost all of those flights were either leaving or entering Texas. I don't know what it is about this state, but every time when someone could've been rude and ruined my day, they instead did something that made me smile.

          Of course, the Texas hospitality rule excludes anyone employed by Best Buy or Starbucks, and all but one politician. ;)
      • compdude32, on 01/30/2008, -0/+0That is normal, the airlines prefer to fly the planes full when ever possible, if they can get 5 people to hop on the earlier flight that has 5 seats available then they can hopefully sell your orignial 5 seats before the flight leaves.
    • ImOscar, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3The reason is you can have 20 good flights, but the time you have the flight from hell- delays, rude staff, lost baggage, whatever, that's what will be in your mind when you fly.
      ...and apparently I suck at hitting the correct reply to link. Digg's comment system is awesome.
  • inhalent, on 01/30/2008, -23/+1huh..?
    • aigulf, on 01/30/2008, -8/+3did you rtfa? it's an FAA rule that requires airlines to book you on the next available flight...even if it's not with them (unless the reason for delay is weather)

      EDIT: just read the rest of the article....it's not FAA, it's an old rule from before deregulation that many airlines still honor
      • DarkSamus, on 01/30/2008, -1/+3maybe japan airlines, but talk to delta, they'll ***** on your face and tell you go ***** yourself
        • MtheoryX, on 01/30/2008, -0/+4Wow, for free? Now that's good service. I know some women that would charge $200 for that.
  • potisreallygood, on 01/30/2008, -25/+348Stranded at the airport? Don't forget Rule 420
    • rhylan, on 01/30/2008, -17/+4It should be law 420...
    • thebusdriver, on 01/30/2008, -11/+9that what I thought it said on first reading.

      its 4:20 for me right now...
    • jamwil87, on 01/30/2008, -11/+17potisreallygood.
    • itsgotyou, on 01/30/2008, -11/+26"Rule 420: a passenger is alloted a maximum of 1min.46secs in the toilet on all occassions except when changing diapers. . . ."



      What was your point invoking this rule?
      • jerryterhorst, on 01/30/2008, -9/+37...seriousy? come on.. .seriously?
        • manifestdata, on 01/30/2008, -2/+5It is saying that you shouldn't need more that 1 min 46 secs to get stoned if you have the right pot. Mids or swag may cause you to take more time in the bathroom as it will require more time to pick out seeds and stems after grinding.
        • BoneheadFarker, on 01/30/2008, -0/+5@manifestdata

          Does that inculde the time to disable the fire-alarm and the fire-alarm-has-been-disabled-alarm?
      • bigd063, on 01/30/2008, -0/+4I could smoke at least 2 bowls in 1:46.
    • hawarkarem, on 01/30/2008, -4/+291min and 46sec. who the hell wrote that rule? did he/she have OCD or something?
    • ligyron, on 01/30/2008, -5/+3Hey, could you '420' me?
    • MadScientist420, on 01/30/2008, -2/+5It certainly makes the airport more tolerable...and the donut shop even more irresistable.
    • notjamt9000, on 01/30/2008, -4/+2Stranded at the airport? Don't forget rule 34!
      Damn, I was beaten to it
    • BoneheadFarker, on 01/30/2008, -2/+2That's actually how I read it at first...
    • BTraina, on 01/30/2008, -1/+3Mile High Club?
    • edwartica, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1I pity the dyslexic who tries to invoke rule 420...
      Security! We have someone trying to smuggle drugs!
  • StarBeamAlpha, on 01/30/2008, -3/+67Oh man, I can't wait to get stranded so I can try this out!
    • doktorzee, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2Same here, it'll be great!
    • hifiDesign, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1Right. I did. And it didn't work. So don't get your panties in a ruffle if it doesn't.

      Also, remember that while weather in point A might be good, and weather in point B might be good, the weather in between may not.
  • fr0mundacheese, on 01/30/2008, -38/+11I think the author was more impressed with his "knowledge" to invoke rule 240. pompous ass.
    • shewasjustagrl, on 01/30/2008, -6/+4Well, it takes one to know one.
    • bossm4n, on 01/30/2008, -2/+19Is this the first time you've ever heard of Peter Greenberg? This guy knows everything there is to know about travel. Every time he has something to say, whether it's on TV or in a column, I learn something. How exactly is trying to share knowledge or teach someone a display of arrogance? Do you sit in the back of your remedial math class and call your teacher a pompous ass because he still insists that 2+2=4?
      • Incomp3tnt, on 01/30/2008, -0/+62 + 2 also equals 5.

        The more you know.
  • nshady, on 01/30/2008, -7/+95Most useful piece of information I learnt on digg today.
    • theright, on 01/30/2008, -1/+5*Only* useful piece of information I learnt on digg today.
    • shadowblade989, on 01/30/2008, -4/+2Most useful piece of information I learnt on digg ever.
    • lazlonger, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3makes me want to go spend all the money i earnt if it weren't for my wife's having spurnt me and emptied my account, which was confirmt.
      i know it's accurate and defensible, but it's clunky and tedious too.
    • moush, on 01/30/2008, -5/+2Consider this a challenge. It is "learned" not "learnt".
    • canyoodiggit, on 01/30/2008, -0/+0Definitely, I could've used this multiple times if i'd only known about it. Very very useful.
  • adamtar, on 01/30/2008, -23/+2This will come in handy next time I fly out. Can't wait to see the look on the check in staff's face when I tell them about rule 240 HAHAHA!
    • jerryterhorst, on 01/30/2008, -9/+2~!L:O!L~!O~L!~L~!
    • derek20cali, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3They will probably laugh at your lack of reading comprehension.
  • vertigoblue, on 01/30/2008, -10/+2this is usually an option that only "in the know" people called upon because they were relying on air travel for business needs, but it has been around for a while... (like 20 years)
    • spargonaut, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1wow, somebody knows how to make a comment before getting all the information...
      you obviously missed the part talking about where the rule was created
      "Well, I didn't make up Rule 240. It was created by the old Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) way before the days of airline deregulation."
      and the other part talking about when the CAB was dissolved...
      "And then, when the CAB was deregulated out of existence in 1978, the rule survived the transition."

      perhaps someone needs to go back and take another reading class, as well as another math class.

      me? I'm off to my "how to not be an as shole class"
  • jonesyb, on 01/30/2008, -3/+11I am flying tomorrow from, and to an airport that is notorious for delays, so this is excellent information.
    • ImOscar, on 01/30/2008, -0/+11That narrows it down to... oh wait, no I don't think that narrows it down at all.
    • stalefries, on 01/30/2008, -1/+4Chicago?
  • jerryterhorst, on 01/30/2008, -13/+70i prefer rule 42--it is the answer to life, the universe, and everything (including airline delays).
    • Goombellaofgoom, on 01/30/2008, -0/+24Now here's a frood who knows where his towel is.
    • mnevstar, on 01/30/2008, -6/+0i literally just finished reading hitchhikers guide! I just put down the book 30 seconds ago...

      there is purpose to all of this!
    • climbon321, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2if you find yourself stranded at the airport Don't Panic!
    • CTK14A, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2Your number of diggs is currently at 42. I'm going to leave it that way.
    • BMNB1tches, on 01/30/2008, -2/+123 is the true 42.
  • ToadLeg, on 01/30/2008, -6/+24Apparently they didn't have an iPhone:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SIRtOkUgww
  • chicoer2001, on 01/30/2008, -1/+30How about we turn it back into a legally binding rule. The government protects consumers in other areas...except flying.
    • elhaf, on 01/30/2008, -1/+2Dugg for knowing that it's not a legally binding rule. What'd you do, read the ***** article or something?
  • ngageguy, on 01/30/2008, -12/+3pics or it didn't happen
  • Mothh, on 01/30/2008, -2/+22Good luck finding your luggage!
    • triskele, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2I've ended up on a different flight than my luggage before, and yes even international. If you're at your vacation destination they're usually very good about telling you where your luggage is, and if you're at your home destination it'll show up at your front door in a day or two.
    • stalefries, on 01/30/2008, -0/+4Several times, our luggage has ended up on a different flight from us. The airlines personally delivered it to us where we were staying.
    • oo7b0nds, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1Actually one time when traveling to Hungary with my $3500 Cello, it somehow got on a flight to Germany. I simply gave them my luggage tag, and it was at my hotel in under 10 hours. Once I got over the horror of my cello being out of my sight, it was relatively painless.
  • darny, on 01/30/2008, -13/+2yeah good luck explaining this to the asshat high school dropout PMS during midol shortage mustard gas crotched ticket attendant crone. yikes.
  • anonydigg, on 01/30/2008, -11/+3FTA: "So, the real bottom line here is that while no one airline is legally mandated to follow rule 240, many of them do — if they want to. And the real key is that you have to ask — not demand — and in many cases, you'll be accommodated."

    ... what a waste of time.
    • BingoPower, on 01/30/2008, -2/+8Hardly. If they do it, you win. If they don't, you've lost nothing.

      Now how is that a waste of time?
    • Protoss, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3You're already stuck there for however long, what else are you going to do with that time? It would take like 2 minutes to ask the gate agent.
  • xerofilter, on 01/30/2008, -43/+53There is no Rule 240, at least not anymore. Rule 240 was shorthand for an old Civil Aeronautics Board regulation that required airlines to immediately place you on another flight, regardless of the fare you originally paid or the carrier you originally booked. But the C.A.B. and its rules disappeared after the airlines were deregulated in 1978.

    Today, carriers set their own rules, and they’re laid out in the “contract of carriage” buried in the fine print on airline Web sites. You agree to the contract when you buy a ticket, and most carriers have terms similar to the jargon imposed by Delta Air Lines. Delta’s contract promises nothing; it even specifically disavows its responsibly to place you on the flight with the date, time, and destination printed on your ticket. As for getting help if your flight is grounded, lots of luck. According to Delta, any assistance is “at our sole discretion.” Why does the myth of Rule 240 — and the chimera of mandated federal travel assistance — persist? Airline legerdemain. At least three carriers — Delta, United and Northwest — call their proprietary contract terms Rule 240. This must be some sort of inside joke that amuses airline-contract lawyers.
    • drgnmstrnik, on 01/30/2008, -3/+48Wow, time to RTFA since all of that is discussed there. Anyway I got changed from a canceled Delta flight to a Northwest flight when I asked just last week.
    • MrSketch, on 01/30/2008, -0/+66The author admits that this is no longer a true 'Rule', but that many carriers will still follow it, when asked. Since it's not a true 'Rule' you cannot demand that they invoke Rule 240, but you can ask. What's the harm in asking? Worst case is you're still stranded, right?

      In general, I alway try to be nice to the airline agents since they alone have the power of stranding you or getting you to your destination.

      Anecdote: We were taking my sister-in-law to the airport and just hanging out with her in the terminal after she got her tickets. Just on a whim I pulled up her flight information online and it said it was delayed 6 hours (even though the monitors in the airport showed it being on-time). So we calmly went up to the ticket agent, told them this and asked if there was anything he could do, and 5 minutes later she had a ticket flying out on another airline. However, at the same time we were getting our new tickets, there was a lady right next to us raising hell that the flight was delayed (by now the monitors had been updated), and the agent helping her just told her she was SOL. We later heard the agent tell the guy who was helping us that there was no way they were going to help a rude customer like that.
    • ronaldinho, on 01/30/2008, -0/+5I think Greenburg did say that, but "many still do". Myth or truth, I guess if we do face a delay, it never hurts to ask. Useful info. Dugg.
    • krytenx, on 01/30/2008, -0/+18Thanks Captain Xerox, do you have an original thought to accompany that paragraph you copied?

      Here's the source:
      http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/debunking-ur ...

      It was written recently so perhaps Greenberg's article was written in response.
    • bxblox, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2I was canceled on unite two weeks ago for a flight with a 2 hour connection wait and was told the next flight was in 10 hours. After telling the clerk how important it was for me to be there on time I was switched to a nonstop flight on AA without any problems. I dont know if the rule is real or not but they do have the power to change your flight to another airline if your flight is canceled for some random reason..
    • junml707, on 01/30/2008, -0/+4United's coctract specifically contains a section entitled "Rule 240". It lists exactly what the author describes.

      Section C.1.b is the relevant part.

      UA RULE 240: FAILURE TO OPERATE ON SCHEDULE OR FAILURE TO CARRY (NOT APPLICABLE TO STANDBY FARES.)
      A) GENERAL
      THE PROVISIONS OF THIS RULE APPLY ONLY TO A PASSENGER WHO HAS A TICKET AND A CONFIRMED RESERVATION ON A FLIGHT WHICH HE/SHE DOES NOT USE FOR ONE OF THE REASONS NAMED BELOW.

      B) DEFINITIONS
      (I deleted this because it goes on for pages)

      C) SCHEDULE IRREGULARITY
      1) WHEN A PASSENGER WILL BE DELAYED BECAUSE OF A SCHEDULE IRREGULARITY INVOLVING A UA FLIGHT WHICH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS RULE, FOR TICKETS ISSUED ON/AFTER SEPT. 1, 1992, FLIGHT DELAYS EXCEEDING 2 HRS., OR UA CANCELS THE PASSENGER'S RESERVATION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS A) OR D), RULE 135 (CANCELLATION OF RESERVATIONS) EXCEPT FOR CANCELLATIONS OF RESERVATIONS DUE TO A WORK STOPPAGE:
      A) UA WILL TRANSPORT THE PASSENGER WITHOUT STOPOVER ON ITS NEXT FLIGHT ON WHICH SPACE IS AVAILABLE IN THE SAME CLASS OF SERVICE AS THE PASSENGER'S ORIGINAL OUTBOUND FLIGHT AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THEPASSENGER.
      B) IF UA IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ONWARD TRANSPORTATION ACCEPTABLE TO THE PASSENGER, UA, WITH CONCURRENCE OF THE PASSENGER, WILL ARRANGE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ON ANOTHER CARRIER OR COMBINATION OF CARRIERS WITH WHOM UA HAS AGREEMENTS FOR SUCH TRANSPORTATION. THE PASSENGER WILL BE TRANSPORTED WITHOUT STOPOVER ON ITS (THEIR) NEXT
      FLIGHT(S), IN THE SAME CLASS OF SERVICE AS THE PASSENGER'S ORIGINAL OUTBOUND FLIGHT AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE PASSENGER.
      C) IF SPACE IS ONLY AVAILABLE AND USED ON A UA FLIGHT(S) OF A LOWER CLASS OF SERVICE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PASSENGER, UA WILLPROVIDE A REFUND OF THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES PURSUANT TO RULE 260(REFUNDS-INVOLUNTARY).
      D) IF UA IS UNABLE TO ARRANGE ALTERNATE AIR TRANSPORTATION ACCEPTABLE TO THE PASSENGER, UA SHALL REFUND THE FLIGHT COUPON(S) FOR THE UNFLOWN PORTION(S) IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 260 (REFUNDSINVOLUNTARY).
      EXCEPTION 1: UA SHALL HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO HONOR ANOTHER CARRIER'S
      TICKET WHICH DOES NOT REFLECT A CONFIRMED RESERVATION ON UA, UNLESS THE
      ISSUING CARRIER REISSUES THE TICKET FOR ANY CHANGES IN ROUTING. IN THE
      EVENT SUCH CARRIER IS NOT AVAILABLE TO DO SO, UA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO
      United Air Lines, Inc. 34 Updated: 12/13/2007
      REROUTE PASSENGERS ONLY OVER ITS OWN LINES BETWEEN THE POINTS NAMED ON
      THE ORIGINAL TICKET.
      EXCEPTION 2: PASSENGERS HOLDING TICKETS FOR ANOTHER CARRIER PURCHASED
      AT DE21/DE21E/ DE22/FE30/FE32 FARES (OR SIMILAR DISCOUNTED FARES WHICH
      PROVIDE FOR TRAVEL ON FIRST CLASS SERVICE) WILL BE ACCEPTED ON UA FIRST
      CLASS SERVICE UPON PAYMENT OF ADDITIONAL FARE TO THE LEVEL OF UA'S
      NORMAL ONE-WAY FIRST CLASS FARES.
  • zachlutz, on 01/30/2008, -28/+19The above post is correct. Rule 240 was done away with 30 years ago.
  • pavanb500, on 01/30/2008, -16/+10I agree that Peter Greenberg has some good nuggets of information, but 90% of the stuff he says just sounds good to hear, but when it comes time to implement it, good luck. I work in the industry and can guarantee you that any ticket counter agent will laugh under her breath when she hears someone trying to invoke 240. The only people who try the 240 crap are leisure travelers who read travel guides = the people paying for the cheapo tix and hauling 3 huge bags to go to grandma's house. The business travelers, who provide us with the highest yields, are already accommodated before they even ask. 240 FTL
    • rufo, on 01/30/2008, -2/+13Did you RTFA? He mentions all of that and more. Point is, some airlines still honor it to a degree, and if you're stuck somewhere, does it really hurt to ask?
      • pavanb500, on 01/31/2008, -1/+0I did...did you RTFC? It does hurt to ask in some cases because the agent will think you're being, for lack of a better term, a douche, and won't go out of her way for you.
  • petomni, on 01/30/2008, -22/+8Rule 240 is gone. Buried as inaccurate.
    • yunus, on 01/30/2008, -2/+18Did you read the article? He says that it is gone but also goes on to explain how you can still use it.
      • crossmr, on 01/30/2008, -2/+5yes, say it and cross your fingers. That's how you use it.
        It's not a rule, its a hail mary pass.
  • Locke23, on 01/30/2008, -6/+13Bet you he checked the weather on his iphone
    • psykiv, on 01/30/2008, -2/+1Too bad he didn't check the weather everywhere in between those two cities. Doesn't mean that just because those two cities are clear that there isn't a freaking hurricane between those two cities.
  • domjrl, on 01/30/2008, -11/+2Rule 420: sit back, smoke a blunt and wait for the next plane...
  • drunkinbda, on 01/30/2008, -8/+2i just question how useful this is nowadays? Firstly, the article started strong, but then started to trickle into the "newer airlines dont really have it", "they dont HAVE to acknowdedge it" etc etc. Thats all fine, albeit a bit of a let down, but hey why whats the harm in asking?
    Well, what would scare me about this is all the crap you hear about people getting delayed/removed/disallowed/arrested at airports for voicing their opinions. So you get cancelled, you say you want 240 and they say no? I guess if you left it thats ok, but what about the people that push for it? I'd say theres a real chance of us digging an anti-tsa story soon based on a person pushing their "rule 240" rights. Its scary and annoying, but its reality.
    good luck to all those that this works for.
    • carpespasm, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2the author explains exactly how useful it is. It's useful if you fly on one of the long-standing airlines and are going to otherwise be delayed anyway. It's worth a shot as long as you're not on a bargain bin airline.
  • petebert, on 01/30/2008, -0/+23I prefer to look at everyone around me and think about rule 34
    • TheRealM3D, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1beat me to it...
    • ronaldinho, on 01/30/2008, -0/+7May I ask what is rule 34?
      • akatherder, on 01/30/2008, -0/+19Rule 34: If it exists, there is porn of it. No exceptions.
        • TripcodeMel, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1Rule 69: If it exists, there's gender-bender porn of it.
          Rule 65: Everyone owned a car city map rug as a child.
    • xxxana, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1Rule 35: If porn of it doesn't exist, a certain group of people will provide you with it.
    • coleki, on 01/30/2008, -3/+1Ever think about rules 1 and 2??
      • TripcodeMel, on 01/30/2008, -2/+1Those only apply to raids, newfag. Lurk more around eBaum's, you might pick up something useful.
  • Porksodaguy, on 01/30/2008, -8/+3Dugg because I do a ton of air travel
  • GorgarFanClub, on 01/30/2008, -11/+1Last time I asked the counter to give me a 240 I was detained and held by security until I told them I said "240" and not "4:20".
  • manicallday, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3What's rule #1? So far I only know rule 240 and rule 2080 -record company people are shady- and that's about it.
    • spyrochaete, on 01/30/2008, -0/+13Don't talk about fight club.
    • oldhat, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3Don't get high off your own supply...duh!
    • paradoxtitan, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2Props for the Tribe Called Quest reference.
  • Tremblor, on 01/30/2008, -10/+3this 240 thing doesn't work. I bet if any high flier with 1,000,000,000 FF miles, who travels every other day said "I invoke rule 240! Find me an aero-plane!" they will accommodate him. A normal person tries this, they're SOL.
    • drgnmstrnik, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3Actually I used it just last week.
    • SpaceBass, on 01/30/2008, -1/+1Bingo! I fly over 100 flights a year and have the highest level of status with my airline of choice... they will often, but not always, try and accommodate me but make it clear they are under no obligation to do so. I've seem then treat the guy behind me like dirt just because he was Joe Public ...
      Guess what I'm saying is: frequent flyers get a little better treatment, but we all get the shaft in the end
  • triskele, on 01/30/2008, -9/+3Goodbye Rule 240
    http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/Goodbye ...
    • Kakemonster, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3RTFA, the rule has been gone for some time...
      • triskele, on 01/30/2008, -2/+1But the author is presenting it as still valid.
        • Acolyte357, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1By making that comment you either didn't read the ***** article as told the first time or you are a ***** illiterate bastard!
  • Error601, on 01/30/2008, -11/+1Dip *****...planes not only have to leave to the destination, they have to come from somewhere too.
  • drgnmstrnik, on 01/30/2008, -3/+7The rule **does** work, I actually used it last week when a Delta flight from State College, PA to SF via Atlanta was canceled because of mechanical failure and they put me on a Northwest flight instead. I didn't know it by name but I just asked the Delta customer service person if they could put me on another flight today instead of the next day flight they were offering and they did it.
    • ilves7, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2that has nothing to do with the rule... most airlines will still get you to your destination if there is something that is obviously their fault causing your delay. If its weather or just airport backlog they aren't responsible and won't help you, but I've never heard of airlines not trying to get you another flight if yours is cancelled due to mechanical issues
      • saranagati, on 01/31/2008, -0/+1Actually airlines will sometimes (all the time in my experience) still get you to your destination free of additional charges even if it's your fault. I was once 16 hours late to my flight and they booked me on the next flight which left about 2 hours from then. I've had other times where i was much closer to being on time yet still late, or late because of waiting in the baggage check in line and they still booked me on the next flight for free. I'm not a frequent flier of any airline or flying at all so they really didn't have any reason to go out of their way to help me.
  • slantyeyed, on 01/30/2008, -1/+12Execute Order 66!
  • hmmmok, on 01/30/2008, -3/+1Print page http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22900119/print/1/displ ...
  • blatantninja, on 01/30/2008, -1/+5It's definitely hit or miss. In the span of less than a week, I had 2 different flights canceled on American. The first was from LGA to RDU. They actually switched me to a United flight without me even asking for it. The second was a connection flight from DFW to Austin. It was the last flight of the day and they canceled it. They claimed weather, and I politely told the agent that couldn't be the case since the flight in question only flew from DFW to Austin several times a day and neither airport or anywhere in between had so much as rain that day. She stuck to the story and booked me on the next flight in the morning, which didn't bother me too much. What bothered me is that as polite as I was, she told me that American wouldn't pay for my hotel. transportation to that hotel or anything else since it was weather related. So I'm out another $125 thanks to them. Now I've learned my lesson, NEVER take a connecting flight on American.
    • AngryOx, on 01/30/2008, -1/+3I work for the airline and what it probably was is weather in another part of the country that your plane was coming from. Just because you are going from DFW doesn't mean the plane that was planned for that flight isn't stuck in Orlando from weather. That happens a lot. It is also standard for the airline not to pay a dime if it is weather related.
      • pwr4, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1I also work for the airline, and the flights often DO NOT just bounce back and forth between a hub airport and another city. Even if the plane just went back and forth between AUS and DFW does not mean that they would not take that plane and use it for another route if there was weather than forced a cancellation of another flight. It's just the efficiency of a hub and spoke system in action.
  • FoxFaction, on 01/30/2008, -7/+11I like marijuana.
  • Horonto, on 01/30/2008, -7/+0What? 420 rule? Let's get pizza!
  • elliotys, on 01/30/2008, -1/+9Why do I have the feeling that when I say "I want to envoke rule 240" to the counter people, I'm going to get a cavity search. Have I become that paranoid?
    • petebert, on 01/30/2008, -3/+2you might get tased to death instead
      • Acolyte357, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1Does he have a pacemaker or a heart condition?
  • aszymczyk, on 01/30/2008, -0/+13I feel like I would try that and then everyone behind the counter would laugh at me...
    • SteeleJK, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3Yeah the counter people probably place bets on how many stupid customers are going to ask for a '240'. I bet some people try this invoke this rule in strange ways like sliding over a 20 with the number 240 written on it while winking at the counter person.
    • bxblox, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3"Hey sally! looks like we've got another rule envoker here. hahaha!"
  • akatherder, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1If they allow you to do this, can it affect your ticket price (either pay more or pay less)? Or does it all just happen magically behind the scenes?
  • masterc, on 01/30/2008, -2/+9"I checked the weather in both Chicago and Boston: totally clear."

    Let me guess, he checked it on his iPhone?
    • someoneWhoBikes, on 01/30/2008, -4/+2Pleeeeaaaassssseeeeee. I've been checking weather on cell phones for 5 years or so. And no, I didn't have an iPhone 5 years ago (nor now, for that matter).
  • bentl1, on 01/30/2008, -7/+3According to the recent federal laws pertaining to paid carriage of passengers, Rule 240 doesn't exist any longer. You can mutter the words "rule 240" 'till you're blue in the face, but if the man behind the counter chooses to ignore it, there is NOTHING you can do. Period. Want to do something? Join and participate in "flyersrights.com" ... started to bring justice to crappy airline service and it now has legislation pending.
    • Buelldozer, on 01/30/2008, -0/+2Way to recap the article Captain Obvious.
    • metallica093, on 01/30/2008, -0/+0Dude, you're a ***** buzz kill. Get out. Now.
    • andycr512, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1Everything you just said is in the article...
  • bentl1, on 01/30/2008, -3/+2By the way .... if you have a travel agent, let them invoke the "rule 240" for you. You buy a few tickets a year .... they buy thousands ... you do the math ... who has clout? Thinking that you saved money by buying your tickets online? Wait until you're stranded just once .... all your "savings" go away quickly. I found this out when my flight was canceled (277 people). My family got home on the next flight only because of my travel agent ... everyone else on that plane was stuck for THREE days at the airport in Hawaii at their own expense. So those that saved the $35 bucks or so by going on line, got screwed. .... Oh ... and we flew in first class. We'll never fly without a travel agent helping us again.
    • Stevo23, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1Let me guess, you're a travel agent.
      Nice plug for a totally useless old-fashioned service though.
    • saranagati, on 01/31/2008, -0/+1I could think of a lot worse places to be stranded than hawaii. In fact I would have been angry if the one time I did book a flight through an old fashioned travel agency was the time i could have been stranded in hawaii.
  • sremick, on 01/30/2008, -0/+7I'd be interested in knowing how many people who've had "Rule 240" work for them were flying coach, versus business or first-class.

    I have a feeling the success rates come from those who already paid for premium seating and so get special-treatment. Coach fliers are lucky if there aren't weevils in their peanuts.
  • darkstar2002c, on 01/30/2008, -1/+1Helpful information for anyone who finds themselves flying frequently.
  • Vo0Ds, on 01/30/2008, -0/+3Does anyone know if this works with UK flights?
    • Smiff2, on 01/30/2008, -5/+1i think not.. got my hopes up.. wish digg would make it clear whenever an article is US-specific and mark it as such.. the US != everywhere, you know.
      • murmandamos, on 01/30/2008, -1/+2digg.com != digg.co.uk
        • radio2020, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1.com != USA
          .com == Commercial
          .us == USA
        • Smiff2, on 01/31/2008, -0/+1jesus. i never said i hate America. you 'merkins need to be less sensitive.
        • digmark, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1.com isn't an american TLD, smartass
  • TH3W1R3D, on 01/30/2008, -0/+1Too bad I'm always flying southwest :/
  • fognozzle, on 01/30/2008, -3/+1Buried as inaccurate. Rule240 disappeared in 1978.
    • edtrash, on 01/30/2008, -1/+1you are inaccurate fognozzle.
      read your airline's contract of carriage. frontier airlines still has a rule 240.
      american airlines states: "or in some circumstances on another airline or some other alternative means of transportation. If we are unable to reroute you, reasonable overnight accommodations will be provided"
      united specifically still has rule 240 in their contract of carriage: "IF UA IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ONWARD TRANSPORTATION
      ACCEPTABLE TO THE PASSENGER, UA, WITH CONCURRENCE OF THE PASSENGER,
      WILL ARRANGE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ON ANOTHER CARRIER"
      wtf people? are all of you so stupid that you refuse to accept new knowledge? it's called the internet people - learn how to use it.
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