AAA Urges Air Travelers to Take Precautions
Phoenix, Ariz.,
April 10, 2008 – Over the last week, more than 100,000 air travelers have been left stranded at airports across the country as a result of flight cancellations. Unfortunately, this issue could continue to ground additional airlines as federal regulators continue to review stringent maintenance and safety orders. These recent cancellations come on the heels of ATA and Aloha airlines announcing bankruptcy filings just last week.
“Unfortunately, it appears that even more travelers will continue to be affected as a result of these cancellations,” said Linda Gorman, public affairs manager for AAA Arizona. “However, it is important to note that travelers who take a few extra precautions can reduce their likelihood of being stranded or at least make the delay less stressful.”
As a result of the recent airline chaos, AAA Arizona would like to recommend the following tips to air travelers:
- Book travel through a travel agent. Travel agents are professionals who work for their travelers! By booking through a trusted travel agency, such as AAA, travelers who find themselves in a situation where their flight is cancelled can rely on their agent to work for them to locate a new flight or other arrangements to minimize the impact on their vacations.
- Consider purchasing travel insurance. Keep in mind that all travel insurance is not equal. Before adding to your trip, be sure you know what you are purchasing and what it will cover in the case of a flight cancellation or other trip interruptions.
- Pay with a credit card. Paying with a credit card offers protection that paying with cash, check and debit card do not as most major credit card companies will allow their customers to dispute a charge within 90 days of a transaction.
For travelers who find themselves already affected by recent cancellations, they can do the following to minimize trip interruptions:
- Have contact numbers ready. In the midst of travel delays, ticket counters at airports will be overcrowded. It may be easier to call the airline’s corporate office to reschedule flights. If you have a travel agent, call that person first. Program these numbers into your cell phone so you have them ready.
- Check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
- If you are scheduled to travel on a cancelled American Airlines flight, the airline has announced that it is waiving ticket changes for those passengers affected by the recent aircraft inspection cancellations. The policy waiver allows these tickets to be changed with no change fee or penalty.
“Rules were in place to protect airline travelers following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The law required other airlines to accept your ticket on a space available basis with a charge of between $25 and $50 if your airline ceased operation,” said Gorman. “However, that law expired November 2006. AAA would like to see that law re-enacted on a permanent basis.”
AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 800,000 Arizona members. Annually, AAA’s Emergency Road Service responds to more than 450,000 calls for help on the streets and highways of the state as well as providing insurance, travel, and financial services to AAA members and motorists. Since its founding in 1927, AAA Arizona has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. |
