chrisphx

I am on a late afternoon flight from SFO to PHX later today, but it looks like I will have to miss it due to a work emergency. There is a later flight at 5pm and again at 7:15pm, and I will likely have to catch the last one.

What is the best way to do this? I have already checked in for my flight and printed my boarding pass. Should I call the Chairman's desk or just go to the counter at the airport and come up with an excuse with how I missed my flight? I would like to avoid paying full fare for a last-minute booking.

I have not had to change a flight in a long, long, long time, so I don't know the best nuances these days.

Thanks.

PHL

You have 2 options:

1.) Call and rebook and pay the fees/fare difference
2.) Show up later and tell them you had an emergency and couldn't make it. Tell them you had a flat tire. Tell them anything, it really doesn't matter. It will be up to the agent whether or not to put you on a later flight for no charge.

denCSA

And to clarify this, you MUST be at the airport within 2 hours after your original flight was SCHEDULED to depart in order to qualify under US's 'flat tire' rule.

This was a huge benefit to me a few weeks ago!

geo1005

I'd say you have two options. One is honest while the other is not.

CMK10

If this is a work emergency, perhaps your company will reimburse the change fees? I'd try calling and see if you get a sympathetic agent who will help a CP out. If not, pay the change fees and take it up with your company.

chrisphx

Everything turned out fine at work, and I got to the airport in plenty of time. I thank everyone for their input, and this may come in handy down the road.

Now here's the ironic part: They were actually looking for volunteers. I was the first one to volunteer, trying to get a $300 voucher for taking the next flight. I would have gotten home a little over an hour later than anticipated, but that's OK. However, I just found out that they don't need any volunteers, so I'm boarding now.

chris4096

I don't think it's dishonest to say "I wasn't able to make it on time." No need to make up an elaborate story. "I'm sorry I'm late, can you please help me get the next available flight" has worked just fine the couple times I've done it. In fact, it's written into the CoC:

If a customer with a seat assignment on US Airways does not obtain a boarding pass at least 30 minutes (60 minutes international) before the scheduled departure time, the customer’s seat assignment (including those seat assignments on continuing or returning flights) may be subject to cancellation. This policy does not apply to US Airways Shuttle flights.

Passengers must check in at the US Airways ticket counter no later than 45 minutes prior to departure; in all other cities, passengers must check in at the US Airways ticket counter no later than 30 minutes prior to departure. Passengers failing to comply will be reaccommodated on the next available US Airways flight.


http://www.usairways.com/en-CA/trave...carriage4.html


As others have noted it was within a reasonable amount of time. If you have a 6a flight and you show up at 4pm they are probably not going to be as willing to accommodate.

BoeingBoy

While that addresses passengers who aren't issued a boarding pass or aren't checked in by the appropriate time, the contract of carriage is more specific about no-shows, which is what not showing up for a flight is. US reserves the right to cancel the ticket.

The old CAB "flat tire rule" went away not too long after deregulation. Fortunately, most carriers and agents are sympathetic to traveler's plights and will still make allowances when passengers are late. But no carrier is required to put late passengers on a later flight.

Jim

RDU_USAir_CSA

That is incorrect. I am a US gate agent, and we still have the "two-hr-rule". It must be within availability and the same exact routing. i.e. RDU-CLT-SJU cannot be changed to RDU-PHL-SJU.

Nikolaos

Actually, i had an international flight in August and i showed up to the airport late. The original flight was through CLT. The US agent booked me on the next available flight through PHL!

I find that the personal contact with the agents is the key to this!! And from my experience US airways agents are the BEST!! ^

BoeingBoy

It's not in the contract of carriage so officially it doesn't exist. The "flat tire rule" refers to a CAB rule that required carriers to provide transportation on a later flight if a passenger missed their flight through no fault of their own - it was rule 8xx - I don't remember the specific number. The actual rule disappeared shortly after deregulation, as I said, but carriers continued honor it through the late 90's. Since then most carriers have dropped official recognition of the rule, although some still apply it on a case by case basis.

4.2 CANCELLATION OF CONFIRMED RESERVATIONS

US Airways reserves the right to deny the processing of any reservation request and/or cancel any reservations (including those for seats on continuing and return flights) without advance notice when the following situations arise:

If the customer is not present at the boarding gate or on the aircraft at least 15 minutes (60 minutes Europe and Middle East, 30 minutes all other international, 5 minutes for US Airways Shuttle flights) prior to scheduled departure time of the flight, even if the customer has already checked in for the flight either at a location designated for check−in or through web check−in.

If the customer fails to occupy the seat reserved (for example, a no−show). A no−show on any leg of a round trip will result in automatic cancellation of the entire itinerary once the flight departs. (this was banned until 2 hours after departure by the CAB rule)

Agents may have some unofficial leeway, but that is different from the old CAB rule that required carriers to provide transportation to passengers who missed a flight through no fault of their own.

Jim

ibrandsguest

Is a fee charged? The last time I missed a flight was almost 10 years ago; no fee was charged then but I figure that things might have changed.