Hey YouTube, Jim here!
Welcome to Top10Archive!
No matter what we do, it always seems like air travel is never in our favor.
Part of the problem, though, is that we're not told everything there is to know about
airlines and their policies.
I'm sure we won't make any friends in the travel industry, but here are ten secrets
that airlines are trying to keep from you.
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10.
The Three-Hour Rule Ever been stuck on the tarmac, waiting for
your flight to take off, only to get held up for one reason or another?
You feel like you could be stuck there for hours on end, but there is a very small light
at the end of the tunnel.
Department of Transportation limits the length of time passengers can be stuck on the tarmac.
If the delay takes longer than three hours, you can't be forced to sit there any longer.
9.
Don't Take the Voucher!
So you've been bumped from your flight and the airline seems to be trying to mend the
situation by giving you a voucher.
They'll either try to get you onto a later flight or one the following day.
That sounds great and all, but you're entitled to more if you ask for it.
Depending on how long you're delayed due to the bump, you could wind up with over $1,000.
If you persist, chances are you won't get much push-back from the airline.
8.
Nonrefundable Tickets Aren't Set in Stone It's right there in the name: Nonrefundable.
If anything happens the day before and you realize you won't be able to make your flight,
you're out of options beyond buying another ticket, right?
Not quite.
There are regulations in place set by the DoT that require airlines to refund a ticket
if it was purchased seven days ahead of the flight and canceled within 24 hours.
This makes nonrefundable tickets more appealing since they are typically cheaper.
7.
You Can Be Booked on a Competitor Flight Should there be a canceled or delayed flight,
you feel like you're at the mercy of the airline.
Thankfully, some airlines are willing to go above and beyond to rectify the pitfall, though
they may never tell you out loud.
If you need a different flight due to a cancellation or delay, many airlines, like Alaska Air and
Frontier, will book you a flight on a competitor.
It's dependent on seat availability, of course, but they'll work to get you home as conveniently
as possible.
6.
Don't Buy Tickets in Bulk Imagine shopping for airline tickets for your
group of seven people.
You come across a deal of five tickets at a discounted price.
So you would then purchase those five and then two at full price.
Or so one would think.
Instead, airlines are known to offer the discount to people purchasing exactly the number of
seats that are left at the lower price.
5.
Small Bags Can be Gate-Checked for Free The next time you're traveling light but not
quite light enough to fit in overhead storage, you may want to see if they'll check it at
the gate.
Since most airlines are charging checked bag fees, it would be nice to be able to sneak
away with a good deal.
You'll have to lug it through security, but saving around $25 is well worth the little
extra effort.
You also get the comfort of knowing your bags made it onto the flight.
4.
Airlines Pay the Difference Catching your connecting flight sometimes
means running a gauntlet through the airport, dodging fellow passengers to your gate that's
inevitably on the other side of the terminal.
If you don't make it because of a delay from your prior flight, it's not your problem to
worry about.
Flights that are massively delayed resulting in you missing a connecting flight are the
responsibility of the airline - and if your alternate travel costs more, they cover the
difference.
That even extends to first-class seats, if they're the only option available to get you
where you need to go.
3.
The Best and Worst Days You may have heard this in passing: Only shop
for flights and fly on certain days.
Sounds like an old wive's tale, but there is truth to it.
The cheapest days to fly tend to be Tuesdays and Saturdays, depending on if there's a holiday
or not, and the worst day to buy a ticket is on Sunday.
According to a study performed at airfare forecasting company Hopper, an analysis of
thousands of flights revealed that flights are around $15 cheaper on Thursdays and $30
a ticket on Mondays for international flights.
2.
Payment for a Delayed or Lost Bag When an airline loses a bag, it's ready to
shell out some cash.
The problem is it's up to you to know and have documentation of every item that you
checked in your bag, otherwise, you'll receive a much smaller value than you're owed.
This isn't just when a bag is lost, however.
If your delayed bag forces you to purchase clothing or anything vital, they'll reimburse
you for the item and pay you for being inconvenienced.
1.
Your Ticket is a Contract There may not be any lawyers present when
you purchased your airline ticket, but the moment there's an exchange of funds, you're
essentially entering into a contract with the airline.
That means, as much as it feels like airlines can do whatever they wish, they're held to
the terms of the contract just as much as you are.
If you're curious about an airline's policies, just read what's called the "Contract of Carriage."
Typically they're found on the back of the physical ticket or on the airline's website.
Thanks for watching!
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