Miss your flight? Airlines are ready to make you pay dearly for it

By Bruce Mohl, Globe Staff, 10/27/02

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A little over a year ago I was heading for a flight out of Rhode Island's T.F. Green Airport when I ran into a traffic tie-up on Interstate 95 just north of Providence. It caused me to miss my flight, and I had to hang around the airport for a couple of hours for the next one.

If the same thing happened today, the consequences would be much more severe. At some of the bigger airlines, I would lose the value of the missed flight and, if I still needed to reach my destination that day, I would have to rebook and pay an astronomical walkup fare.

The big airlines, led by US Airways, all have changed their rules covering missed flights with nonrefundable fares. Previously, they had allowed passengers to apply the value of the missed flight to a future one. Now it's use it or lose it, although conditions vary from one airline to the next.

"The bottom line is people need to be more careful in making their travel plans," said Con Hitchcock, chairman of the consumer advisory board at Orbitz, the online travel agency.

In a sense, leisure travelers are being penalized for what the airlines consider to be transgressions by business travelers. Business customers are supposed to be buying higher-priced refundable fares, which offer the flexibility to change flights when plans change. But many business travelers have found it cheaper to book a nonrefundable fare and pay a change fee to travel at a different time. The new airline policies on nonrefundable fares are designed to close this loophole.

"These new policies enable us to continue to offer the low fares our customers want, while providing added benefits and flexibility to customers who pay a higher fare," said Peggy Estes, a Delta Airlines spokeswoman.

Airlines and travel agents report few problems so far with the new rules, which took effect over the past two to four weeks. Alan Krensky, president of Colpitts World Travel in Dedham, said he expects more changes as the airlines try to return to profitability without alienating customers who are seeking reasonable fares and maximum flexibility.

"The restrictions will continue to evolve as consumers react to them," Krensky said.

The changes vary from airline to airline, while some carriers have made no changes at all in their policies. Southwest Airlines and American West have continued to allow travelers who miss flights to rebook without penalty.

US Airways, which is operating under bankruptcy court protection, has the most draconian policy. As of Aug. 30, a passenger who inexplicably misses a flight cannot apply the value of that ticket to a future flight. Northwest Airlines has a similar policy.

Amy Kudwa, a US Airways spokeswoman, said the policy isn't as strict as it sounds. She notes that anyone who notifies the airline that they will be missing their flight before the gate for that flight is closed will be allowed to apply the ticket value to future travel with a $100 change fee.

Kudwa said US Airways also has a flat-tire rule, meaning exceptions to the policy will be made in unusual situations, such as when the traveler has a flat tire or needs to be towed. She stressed that exceptions are very limited.

"As a general rule, the change will affect very few passengers," she said.

Delta and Continental allow passengers who show up within two hours after their flight's departure to fly standby on the next flight without penalty. Miss the two-hour window, however, and your ticket is worthless.

American and United allow passengers who miss a flight to rebook by midnight of the departure day. If that does not happen, the ticket becomes worthless.

Security concerns

Services that help travelers navigate through potentially dangerous areas of the globe are becoming more popular as terrorism dominates the headlines.

The services can't predict where a bomb will go off, but they can alert travelers to potential problems and help them avoid or navigate around a dangerous incident. The services are targeted primarily at business travelers, but more and more leisure travelers are showing interest as well.

Before the recent bombing at a nightclub in Bali, iJet Travel Intelligence of Annapolis, Md., was warning that "extreme caution" should be used in traveling to Indonesia. Although the report did not mention Bali specifically, it said "extreme fundamentalist groups with religious or moral causes have attacked nightclubs, restaurants, theaters, and at least one conference."

iJet covers most US cities as well, focusing on high-crime areas to avoid, transportation bottlenecks, and other security concerns. In Washington, for example, the iJet report focuses on the recent sniper attacks and offers several dos and don'ts. "In the event that you hear shots, immediately drop to the ground and seek the closest protective cover. Move toward cover quickly in a zig-zag fashion," the report says.

A report on Boston hasn't been completed yet.

Weekly iJet intelligence reports are available for $8 from Amazon.com, and trip-specific information is available for $25, plus $7.95 a day if an international cellphone is included. Travel alerts can be issued to a customer's e-mail, cellphone, or pager.

Bruce Mohl can be reached at mohl@globe.com.