Air Travel and Airline Passenger Rights FAQ

Questions:

• Where can I find information about the duties that the airline owes to me as a passenger?
• In what ways is an airline allowed to restrict my airline ticket?
• How do airlines calculate fares?
• Do airlines offer discounted tickets or let you change a ticket if you need to travel because of death or serious illness?
• What should I do if I lose my airline ticket?
• Does the airline have to compensate me if it bumps me off a flight because of overbooking?
• What about tarmac delays? Do airlines have to let passengers off of stranded planes?
• Am I entitled to compensation if my flight is delayed, diverted, or canceled?
• Am I entitled to compensation from the airline if my baggage is lost or damaged?
• I have a ticket on an airline that seems headed for bankruptcy. What can I do?
• Are there any legal protections for the credits I earn in a frequent flyer program?
• Does it pay to belong to more than one frequent flyer program?
• Can I give away or sell my frequent flyer awards?

Answer:

Does it pay to belong to more than one frequent flyer program?

Some travelers who belong to only one frequent flyer program will pay more for a ticket or will take an indirect or inconvenient flight on an airline just to get frequent flyer credit. One way to avoid this frequent flyer trap is to join more than one program. Although you can get travel awards faster by concentrating your travel on one airline, you may get better fares and connections if you don't restrict yourself to one airline. When you compare tickets, keep in mind that frequent flyer miles are worth approximately 2¢ per mile; use that figure to help calculate which option is best. The 2¢ per mile estimate was calculated by dividing the average cost of a domestic round trip ticket (approximately $500) by the number of frequent flyer miles needed for such a ticket (25,000 miles).