* Before/After Business Hours, Holidays and
Weekends only.
The primary responsibility of the After Hours
Travel Helpline is to assist travelers when they experience
last minute changes during a business trip.
Note: The After Hours Travel Helpline provides assistance
to a number of corporate accounts. Service representatives
may not be as familiar with your company policy and procedures
as your dedicated reservationists.
| Commercial Airline Issue?
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Car Rental Issue? |
Hotel Issue? |
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Commercial Airline Issue
Delayed Flight? Each
airline has its own policy regarding delayed flights; there
are no federal requirements. If you are delayed, ask the airline
staff if they will pay for meals or a phone call. Some airlines,
often those charging very low fares, do not provide any amenities
to stranded passengers. Others may not offer amenities if the
delay is caused by bad weather or something else beyond the
airlines control.
HINT:
STICK CLOSE TO THE GATE in the event of a delay. If the
flight is cancelled, you will be the first in line to
get space on alternate flights. |
Cancelled Flight? -
If your flight is cancelled, most airlines will rebook you on
the next available flight to your destination. This is generally
done at no additional charge (including first class). If this
process involves a significant delay ask the airline to book
you on another carrier or request that the airline pay for your
meal or a phone call. Contrary to popular belief, airlines are
not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed
or cancelled.
HINT:
In the event of an unexpected flight cancellation
and if there are a number of passengers ahead of you at
the ticket counter or boarding gate, call Travel-On and
ask the representative to book you on the next available
flight. The phone call to Travel-On will allow you to
immediately lock into a new flight and will save you the
wait in line. |
Missed Connections? -
If you miss your connection flight you should check with airline
for alternatives. Airlines are not required to provide overnight
accommodations or meals to travelers stranded because of a missed
connection. However, most airline personnel are empowered to
accommodate the needs of the traveler and you are encouraged
to ask that your needs be met by the airline.
Overbooked Flight?
- If your flight is oversold the airline will ask for
volunteers to give up their seats willingly in exchange for payment
designated by the airline. If there are not enough volunteers
you may be involuntarily denied boarding. If this happens, you
may be entitled to "denied boarding compensation".
HINT:
The best way to avoid getting "bumped" is to check
in early. |
Voluntary Bump?
- If you volunteer to be bumped, there are no regulations as
to how much an airline has to pay you (see section above entitled
Overbooking). This means carriers
may negotiate with you for a mutually acceptable amount of money,
a free trip, meal voucher, overnight accommodations, and/or
other benefits including upgrade certificates.
HINT:
If the airline offers you a free ticket, ask about restrictions.
How long are the tickets valid? Can it be used for International
flights? Are there black-out periods during holiday season
when you may want to use it? |
Involuntary
Bump? - If you are involuntarily bumped by an airline
you may be entitled to an on-the-spot payment of "denied
boarding compensation" (see section above titled Overbooking).
To be eligible for denied compensation you must:
- have a confirmed reservation
- meet the check-in deadline designated by the airline (most
domestic airlines have a 30 minute prior to departure check-in
deadline).
The amount of compensation depends on the
price of your tickets and the length of the delay. If the airline
gets you to your destination within one hour of your original
arrival time, there is not compensation due. Typical compensation
for domestic delays: between one and two hours = $200 maximum;
more than four hours = $400 maximum. International delays greater
than four hours = $800 maximum. Compensation may exceed these
amounts during peak travel times, such as holidays, when airlines
are typically booked beyond capacity.
HINT:
If you are bumped involuntarily, attempt to negotiate
for the maximum value you can. You may be surprised by
what you get! Amenities such as free phone calls, overnight
accommodations, upgrade certificates, and meals are typical
examples of compensation. |
No "Denied Boarding Compensation" Due:
- If the airline must substitute a smaller plane for the one
originally planned.
- If the flight is a charter, commuter flight, or plane which
holds 60 or fewer passengers.
- If the airline gets you to your destination within one hour
(four hours for international travel) of the original arrival
time.
- If you are offered a seat in another class of service other
than was specified on the ticket.
- If you get bumped from a flight anywhere other than in the
U.S., these rules do not necessarily apply. Airlines in some
parts of the world offer more special treatment while others
offer you none.
No Reservation?
- If you arrive at the airline ticket counter or gate
and find the airline has no record of your reservation, the flight
is full, and you do not have a confirmation number, call Travel-On
to make alternate flight arrangements.
Trip in Vain?
- If en route, you are faced with such a long delay whereby
the purpose of the trip cannot be fulfilled (i.e. you miss a meeting),
your trip may be considered a "trip in vain", in which
case the airline may agree to refund you for the portion of the
ticket used as well as the flight home. You will need to be proactive
in explaining your circumstances to the airline in order to seek
such compensation.
HINT:
If the purpose of your trip is to close a potentially lucrative
business deal, to give a speech, or to be present at any
time-sensitive event, you might want to allow a little extra
leeway when booking your flight. Remember that an early
departure in the day is less likely to be delayed than a
later flight, due to "ripple" effects throughout
the day. Also, if an early flight is cancelled or delayed,
you have more routing options than if you are booked on
a later flight. |
Tips for Travelers:
Check-in at the airline gate. Even though you have a boarding
pass, airlines can assign your seat to someone else if you
have not checked-in 30 minutes prior to departure.
In the event of a delay, stick close to the gate. If the
flight is cancelled, you will be the first-in-line to reserve
an alternate flight.
Experts concur that your best negotiating
position occurs at the moment of conflict. The kind of action
you get depends in a large part on the way you go about
complaining and negotiating. Remember, it pays to stay calm
when stating your problem. |
Car Rental
No Reservation? - If upon arrival
at the car rental counter you are told they do not show a reservation
for you, no cars are available, and you do not have a confirmation
number, proceed to the nearest car rental company to obtain a
car. Also consider calling Travel-On to make a reservation. Our
system will readily show availability as well as the lowest rental
rates.
| HINT:
Off-airport car rental agencies generally offer lower rates.
|
Rental Location Overbooked?
- If you have a confirmation number and the rental location is
sold out of the type of car booked then an upgrade to the next
size vehicle at no additional cost is a possibility. Should the
rental company be completely sold out of vehicles, they usually
attempt to get you a rental through another car rental company
with a comparable size and rate. However, if the rate is more
expensive, then the original car rental company should reimburse
you for the difference in the rates.
HINT:
Always be sure to inspect the vehicle and report any damage
prior to driving off the lot.
If you have any problems with the vehicle during the rental,
you will need to contact the car rental company for assistance.
You may want to deny the fuel option, but be sure to fill
the vehicle before returning it.
It is a good idea to check your final bill for rate accuracy
prior to leaving location so any discrepancies can be handled
immediately. |
If you rented from a car rental agency other
than your company's preferred car rental company and require reimbursement
for a rate difference, you may submit a copy of the rental agreement
with a copy of your itinerary showing the preferred car rental
agency's confirmation number to your firm's travel manager or
the Travel-On Account Manager assigned to your firm.
Hotel Accommodation
No Reservations? - When checking
into a hotel if you are told they do not show a reservation for
you, and you do not have a hotel confirmation number, contact
Travel-On to obtain an alternate hotel.
Hotel Overbooked? - Hotels,
like airlines, confirm reservations beyond capacity in anticipation
of no shows and last minute cancellations. If you have a confirmation
number and your hotel is guaranteed for late arrival, you are
entitled to a room. If the hotel is sold out, most hotels will
pay for your first nights lodging and transportation to a nearby
hotel.
Effective Planning
If you feel a problem has not been resolved
to your satisfaction at the airport and you want to file a complaint,
you can contact the Client Services Department of Travel-On or
contact the airline directly. Before you call or write the DOT
for help with an air travel problem, you should give Travel-On
or the airline a chance to resolve it.
Travel-On Customer Service Dept
Vice President of Client Services
Customer Feedback Form
Car Rental Survey
|
America West Airlines
Customer Relations
4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85034 |
American Airlines, Inc.
Customer Relations
P.O. Box 619612
MD2400
DFW Airport, TX 75261-9612 |
Continental Airlines
Customer Care
P.O. Box 4607-HQSCR
Houston, TX 77210-4607 |
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Customer Care
P.O. Box 20980
Dept. 980
Atlanta, GA 30320 |
Northwest/KLM Airlines
Customer Care Department
P.O. Box 1908
Minot, ND 58702 |
United Airlines
Customer Relations
Department WHQPW
P.O. Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666 |
US Airways
Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 1501
Winston-Salem, NC 27102 – 1501 |
|
Following are some helpful guidelines when writing to
the airline:
- Keep letter brief and to the point, describing what happened
making sure to include names of employees with whom you dealt,
date, time and place of incident.
- Include copies of travel documents; ticket receipts, boarding
passes, and baggage stubs as well as receipts for any out-of
-pocket expenses that were incurred as a result of the incident.
- Type letter on your company letterhead and copy Travel-On.
- Include your return address and daytime telephone number in
your letter.
- Be reasonable. State what you expect the carrier to do to
make amends. An airline may offer to settle your claim with
a check or some other kind of compensation, possibly free transportation.
You might want a written apology from a rude employee or reimbursement
for some loss you incurred - but the airline needs to know what
you want before it can be decided what action to take.
If you follow these guidelines, the airlines will probably treat
your complaint seriously. Your letter will assist in determining
what caused the problem as well as suggest actions to help prevent
the same thing from happening to others.
If you have written the airline and you feel
your problem has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you may
want to call or write to file a complaint with the Department
of Transportation (DOT) at (202) 366-2220 or write:
U.S. Department of Transportation
Aviation Consumer Protection C-75
Room 4107
400 7th Street S.W.
Washington, DC 20950 |
