Rule 240

Rule 240 is a term describing what individual airlines will do for late or stranded passengers, in the event of delays caused by airlines. The term refers to a federal requirement before airline deregulation in 1978. The major airlines have filed "conditions of carriage" with the U.S. Department of Transportation guaranteeing their respective "Rule 240" provisions. These provisions vary from airline to airline, and generally apply only to delays that are absolutely the airline's fault, such as mechanical delays, and not to "force majeure" events such as weather, strikes, or "acts of God".

Rule 240 mandated that an airline facing a delayed or canceled flight had to transfer you to another carrier if 1) the second carrier could get you to your destination more quickly than the original line and 2) it had available seats.

Summaries of "Rule 240" policies for a few airlines can be found in the PeterGreenberg.com, Consumerist.com and SmarterTravel.com articles in the references section.

References

* [http://consumerist.com/consumer/rule-240/dont-fly-without-a-copy-of-rule-240-250368.php Consumerist.com article "Don't Fly Without A Copy Of Rule 240"]
* [http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/Goodbye-travel-protections-Rule.html?id=317467 Smarter Travel.com article "Goodbye, travel protections: Why 'Rule 240' is headed for oblivion".]
* [http://www.petergreenberg.com/2008/02/11/setting-the-record-straight-on-rule-240/ PeterGreenberg.com article "Setting the Record Straight on Rule 240"]