Flight Delayed or Canceled? Always Remember Rule 240

We all fear the same airport nightmare: thousands of people scattered across the airport floor, their luggage sitting idly beside them. You are in the same predicament as your flight, too, has been delayed or canceled.

This situation can create stress and panic for even the most seasoned traveler.

Airports can be stressful places. But don't let your ski resort vacation suffer from a bad airport experience.

Whether traveling to a ski resort in the summer or winter, always remember Rule 240.

How Rule 240 Can Save your Ski Resort Vacation

Rule 240 states that if a flight is canceled or delayed for any reason other than weather, the airline must place a guest on the next available flight; for free. Not the airline's next available flight, but the next available flight leaving from the airport.

It helps to investigate why a flight is delayed or canceled. Even if an airline claims a flight is delayed for weather, check the weather of your destination and see if other flights are departing for your destination.

Is Rule 240 a Myth or Reality?

Rule 240 sounds too good to be true, and some claim it is. While many travel experts insist Rule 240 is a myth, others find themselves on alternative fights after uttering the magic "Rule 240" words at airport ticket counters.

Rule 240 did formally exist at one time. Before 1978, when US airlines were deregulated, the Civil Aeronautics Board required all carriers to adhere to the same set of rules. Among these rules was Rule 240.

Since many international flights fly through the US, these standards soon spread to airlines around the world.

With deregulation in 1978, airlines were free to remove Rule 240 from passenger contracts. Despite this, however, many airlines continue to honour Rule 240, and it has been evoked by passengers many times. Vestiges of Rule 240 clauses, guests have found, are buried in the "condition of carriage" contracts for many airlines.

On the other hand, avid believers of Rule 240 are ridiculed for the myth of Rule 240. There is no longer a good reason for Rule 240 to exist, and critics argue that it does not. Airlines are purposely ambiguous in explaining their policies. Most airlines like to limit the extent that customers can evoke Rule 240.

The bottom line? If stranded on the way to your ski resort vacation, it pays to complain.

Gate Agents have the final say to whether Rule 240 can or cannot be evoked. Rule 240 may be offered by an airline, even if it is not advertised or recommended at the ticket counter.

The key is to ask - not demand - "hey, could you '240' me?" In many cases, you will be accommodated.