If You Miss a Flight, See If Your Airline Is Using the Flat Tire Rule.
Missing a flight is a nightmare. This is enough to get some clients really excited . Before embarking on a full fit, check to see if your airline is following the little-known “flat tire rule”.
Frugal travel site The Points Guy says this is a common policy that most airlines don’t advertise. The website explains:
… fortunately, most airlines have long had a quasi-official policy of waiving fare rules and changing charges when passengers need to rebook a flight they missed, presumably due to factors beyond their control … This policy is known as “rule flat tire ”, although you won’t find it on most airlines’ websites. Ironically, a flat tire is a mechanical failure that is considered customer-independent (when driving their own car), even though aircraft maintenance delays are considered airline-controlled.
Since the rule is usually not advertised, many people have no idea how to use it. The Points Guy lists the unofficial policies of several airlines. For example, the Americans:
American : According to USA Today , American has a late arrival waiting policy whereby passengers who arrive at the airport within two hours of departure can be re-booked on their next flight without paying any fare change or increase fees if the scheduled flight was not last day. Unfortunately, there is no “late arrival policy” on the American website, so this seems to be an internally documented rule. Be that as it may, US Airways has a similar policy (sometimes referred to as the “two-hour rule”), although the brand will disappear later this year as it is absorbed by the Americans.
Since this is not advertised, it is probably one of those things that happens or goes missing, probably at the discretion of the co-worker you are dealing with. But worth seeing if you ever miss your flight. For more information and the policies of other airlines, follow the link below.
What to do if you miss your flight | The points guy