The Flat Tire rule is undocumented, so you won't find the terms anywhere. It does not have to be an actual flat tire. It is used in any situation where you miss your flight, but show up at the counter reasonably soon thereafter. The reason why it is undocumented is obvious. If you wanted to take flight A, but the flight immediately before it, flight B, was much cheaper, everybody would book flight B, miss it, and invoke the rule to get on flight A.

It is actual official AA policy, but because it is undocumented, we can't quote chapter and verse to a recalcitrant agent. If, for any reason, they decide not to cover you under this policy and require you to buy a walk-up ticket, you are SOL. Remember that missing a flight in a PNR cancels all the remaining flight.

It would not be a good idea, IMO, to plan on missing a flight and invoking the Flat Tire rule.

Thanks Gemac

What about flights departing the Carribean?

I am in a situation where I had to buy a walkup ticket and am now arguing with AA about it. There were a number of factors involved, not just 2 hr rule, but I know it helps to have an AA policy when making arguments to AA.

The so called 'flat tire rule' isn't a rule at all but a customer service method that the airline can choose to offer or not.

I would never count on getting it.

Too risky!

Still nope. If you have had to buy a walkup ticket, you are out of luck. The chances of getting AA to return that money are zero. Move on and live life.

Spill the details :)

Seriously, it will help the folks here to provide advice if we know what happened specifically. Not sure which direction the advice will take without knowing just what happened, but it certainly won't hurt.

Cheers.

The whole idea is to give some leeway to someone that shows up past check in time within a reasonable amount of time and as a plausible and good explanation of why (and maybe why they could not call into CS). As noted without details for a specific case its hard for anyone to give a real opinion of whether AA was right or not.

Giving a real opinion without any facts is easy - happens all the time here on FT. Giving an opinion that makes any sense - not so easy.

I'm sure that if OP posts all the details, they will get plenty of opinions as to whether AA was right or not. Trouble is, that won't help OP get his money back. He is already arguing with AA about it, sounds like he isn't making headway (not surprising), and wants to quote their rule to them. As we know, he can't do that, so we have no ammo to give him. We could give him advice as to how to prevent this from happening in the future. If we do so, we will be called mean AApologists.

I don't completely agree. With the details, it may be possible to provide better arguments for the OP to use. I find that a well-constructed stance can often help one to get the desired resolution, even after the fact. In any event, couldn't hurt.

Cheers.

OK BRP, I will spill, but have one more Flat Tire question.

Flying AUA-MIA-DFW-AUS Pax just misses 1st AUA departure. Next AUA departure would not be able to get last DFW-AUS flight of the day, thereby causing overnite in DFW.

Is it still Flat Tire or does moving last seg into next day break this?

Details on AA's "flat tire rule"
 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/colum...d-flight_N.htm

"American does have a flat-tire rule for customers who call the airline to advise that they won't make their flights, according to representative Tim Smith. This call must come in no more than two hours after the flight's scheduled departure. But that doesn't guarantee them a spot on the next flight out: Passengers travel on a standby basis only."

USA Today: Source

Probably wouldn't break it, but also pretty likely that AA would not spring for the accommodations in DFW.

Cheers.

This definitively helps.

BRP- Why would I ask AA to cover the hotel? That is my problem- not theirs.

I posted my experience in this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...light-day.html about having to use the flat-tire rule to get the first flight of the next day (albeit 12:15 am). It worked, but not without some discontent from the check-in agent.

Also, someone in that same thread raised the issue of whether the rule is the same if you miss the first flight of your itinerary as opposed to, say, the return leg. I don't think that was ever answered. Everyone always states that missing a segment cancels all the remaining ones, but presumably that cannot happen immediately otherwise the flat-tire rule wouldn't work.

The biggest problem we have with arguing with AA is getting a response that matches the issue that we complain about.

So instead you are asking them to cover the cost of a walkup fare because you wanted to get home the same day???