“I’m frustrated,’’ Stinson says. “I don’t have the product that I gave them my money for.’’
With airlines cutting schedules because of high fuel costs, travelers who booked in advance might find their plans upended. And it’s likely to get worse for the fall.
Delta cut 3.5 percent of its domestic flights for September and 1.6 percent for October. US Airways cut 4.5 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively, and United cut 4.4 percent and 5.3 percent, according to Barclays Capital. That’s nearly 1,000 fewer flights than last year for those three airlines.
Sometimes connections are added to trips. Other times a two-hour layover is extended to a six-hour stop.
The government offers travelers little protection, and by the time a schedule change comes there are few alternatives.
To prevent a travel nightmare, arrive a day early if taking a cruise or attending a wedding. Provide a phone number and e-mail address when making a reservation so airlines can contact you immediately in the event of a schedule change.
If your schedule is changed:
■Don’t just accept the computer’s picks. Call the airline and see if it has a better option.
■Know your alternatives. Go to the airline’s website and search flights by schedule. Asked to be placed on the specific flight you want.
■Check other airlines. You might be able to get a refund and buy a new ticket on another carrier. However, the closer you get to your travel date the more expensive airfares tend to be.
Department of Transportation rules don’t address the issue, except to say airlines should offer refunds for “a significant change’’ in departure or arrival time. What constitutes a big change varies. Delta offers refunds to passengers who don’t arrive within 90 minutes of their scheduled time. American offers vouchers for changes of more than one hour and cash refunds for changes of more than two hours. US Airways will refund a ticket if any schedule change is unacceptable to a passenger, as long as it was purchased though the airline.
Where can you find the rules? They’re buried inside a lengthy document that each airline supplies called the “contract of carriage.’’
Scott Mayerowitz writes for the Associated Press. He can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.
