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Last-Modified: Wed Apr 30 12:56:55 1997 by Mark Kantrowitz
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URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/mkant/Public/Travel/airfare.html
;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 4 ********************************************
;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Written by Mark Kantrowitz
This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The
focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are
also covered. It was previously posted under the title "FAQ: How to
Get Cheap Airtickets".
Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms
and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu.
*** Copyright:
Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved.
This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without
modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It
may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents
(e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines,
or other print form) without the prior written permission of the
copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document
to be made available for file transfer from installations offering
unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet.
This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty.
*** Topics Covered:
Part 4 (Appendices, Miscellaneous):
Appendices:
[4-1] Airline Reservation Phone Numbers
[4-2] Flight Information
[4-3] On-line reservation services
[4-4] Complaints and Compliments
[4-5] Glossary
[4-6] Other Sources of Information
[4-7] Further Reading
[4-8] Phone Numbers Included in this FAQ
Miscellaneous:
[4-9] IRS Rules Change
[4-10] Airline Antitrust Litigation
[4-11] Miscellaneous Notes
[4-12] World-Wide Web (WWW) Resources
Search for [#] to get to question number # quickly.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [4-1] Airline Reservation Phone Numbers
If the toll free number is incorrect, do me a favor and call
1-800-555-1212 to get the correct 800 number, and send me email with
the correction. Three or four of these numbers change every year. Note
that toll free numbers are valid only within the USA (sometimes in Canada).
Alaska Airlines 1-800-426-0333, 1-800-654-5669
Alaska Airlines 1-602-921-3100
American 1-800-223-5436 (Main)
American 1-800-433-7300 (Dom)
American 1-800-624-6262 (Itl)
American 1-817-267-1151
America West 1-800-235-9292
America West 1-602-693-0737
Continental 1-800-525-0280 (Dom)
Continental 1-800-231-0856 (Itl)
Continental 1-404-436-3300
Continental 1-800-343-9195, 1-800-421-2456
Continental 1-800-784-4444, 1-800-634-5555
Continental Express 1-207-941-6565
Delta 1-800-221-1212 (Dom)
Delta 1-800-241-4141 (Itl)
Delta 1-404-765-5000
Northwest 1-800-225-2525 (Dom)
Northwest 1-800-447-4747 (Itl)
Northwest 1-800-692-2345 (Asian Language)
Northwest 1-800-345-7458 (French Language)
Northwest 1-800-345-7414 (German Language)
Northwest 1-800-345-7411 (Spanish Language)
Northwest 1-800-328-2298 (TDD/TT Number)
Northwest 1-800-692-2746 (Cargo)
Northwest 1-800-638-7337 (VIP Same-Day Package Service)
Northwest 1-612-726-1234
Northwest 1-800-692-8687
Southwest 1-800-IFLY-SWA, (1-800-435-9792)
Southwest 1-800-531-5601, 214-263-1717
Southwest 1-800-533-1305 (TDD)
TWA 1-800-221-2000 (Dom)
TWA 1-800-892-4141 (Itl)
TWA 1-404-522-5738
United 1-800-241-6522 (Dom)
United 1-800-538-2929 (Itl)
United 1-312-825-2525
USAir 1-800-428-4322 (Dom)
USAir 1-800-622-1015 (Itl)
USAir 1-800-943-5436
USAir 1-412-922-7500
Hawaiian Airlines 1-800-367-5320, 1-800-367-7637
Air Midwest 1-913-537-1305
Air Nevada 1-702-736-8900, 1-800-634-6377
Air Wisconsin 1-414-739-5123
Alaska Island Air 1-907-772-4222
Aloha Airlines 1-800-367-5250, 1-800-227-4900, 1-800-803-9454
Aloha Airlines (TDD) 1-800-554-4833
Aloha Island Air 1-800-828-0806
American Trans Air 1-800-225-2995
American Trans Air 1-800-382-5892
Carnival Airlines 1-800-8-AIR-FUN
Carnival Airlines 1-800-437-2110
Chicago Express 1-800-264-3929
Kiwi International 1-800-538-5494
Kiwi International 1-908-353-3232
Midway Airlines 1-800-446-4392
Midway Airlines 1-800-621-5700
Reno Air 1-800-736-6247
Tower Air 1-800-221-2500
Tower Air 1-800-452-5531
Tower Air 1-800-34-TOWER (1-800-348-6937)
ValuJet 1-404-994-8258
ValuJet 1-800-825-8538
ALM Antillean Airline 1-800-327-7230, 1-800-327-7197, 1-800-531-4854
Aer Lingus 1-800-223-6537
Aero California 1-800-237-6225 Reservations
Aero California 1-800-524-9191 Packages
Aero Cancun 1-305-526-5341
Aero Costa Rica 1-800-237-6274
AeroMexico 1-800-237-6639
Aeroflot 1-800-995-5555
Aerolineas Argentinas 1-800-333-0276
Aeromar 1-800-950-0747
Aeroperu 1-800-327-7080/255-7378
Air Afrique (New York) 1-800-456-9192
Air Aliance 1-800-869-9000
Air Alma 1-800-463-9660
Air Antillean 1-800-327-7230
Air Aruba (Miami) 1-800-882-7822
Air Aruba (Miami) 1-800-858-8028
Air Aruba (Miami) 1-800-858-8038
Air Canada 1-800-776-3000
Air China 1-212-371-9898
Air Europa 1-212-888-7010
Air France 1-800-237-2747
Air France 1-800-237-2746
Air France 1-800-321-4538
Air Gaudeloupe 1-800-522-3394
Air India 1-800-223-2250
Air India 1-800-223-7776
Air India 1-800-255-3191 (Economy)
Air India 1-800-221-6000 (Cargo)
Air Italia 88-228-5730
Air Jamaica 1-800-523-5585
Air Lanka 1-800-421-9898
Air Margarita 1-800-326-0339
Air Mauritius 1-800-537-1182
Air Metro 1-800-871-1000
Air New Zealand 1-800-262-1234
Air New Zealand 1-800-262-2468
Air Niugini 1-714-752-5440
Air North America 1-838-792-4982
Air Pacific 1-800-417-2236, 1-800-227-4446
Air Panama 1-800-272-6262
Air Paraquay 1-800-677-7771
Air Peru 1-800-777-7717
Air Posta 1-305-871-3360
Air Trails 1-408-757-5144
Air UK 1-201-890-1796
Air Vantage 1-800-279-9383
Airianka 1-800-421-9898
Airways International 1-305-876-0170
Alitalia 1-800-223-5730
All Nippon Airways 1-800-235-9262, 1-800-262-9266
Aspen Airways 1-303-320-4747
Austral Airlines 1-305-823-4368
Austrian Air 1-800-843-0002
Avensa-Venezuelan 1-800-283-6727
Avianca 1-800-284-2622
Aviateca Guatemala 1-800-327-9832, 1-800-453-4703, 1-800-535-4148
B A S Airlines 1-800-245-3248
BWIA International 1-800-327-7401, 1-800-327-0204
Bahamas Air 1-800-222-4262
Balair 1-800-322-5247
Bangladesh Biman 1-212-967-7930
Bankair Commuter 1-800-922-7814
Bar Harbor 1-207-941-6565
Bemidji Airlines 1-281-751-1880, 1-800-332-7133
Big Sky Northwest 1-406-245-9449
Branson Airlines 1-800-422-4AIR
British Airways 1-800-247-9297, [1-800-AIR-WAYS]
British Midland 1-800-247-9297
Buffalo Airways 1-817-752-6855
Bush Air 1-907-543-2424
Business Express 1-203-623-5168
Canadian Air 1-800-426-7000
Casino Express 1-702-738-6040
Cathay Pacific 1-415-982-3242, 1-800-233-2742
Cathay Pacific Airways 1-800-233-2742
Cayman Airways 1-800-422-9626, 1-800-441-3003
Cayman Airways 1-800-343-6565 (Group Desk)
China Airlines 1-800-227-5118
China Airlines 1-800-624-2245 (Cargo JFK)
China Estrn Airlines 1-213-384-2703
Copa 1-800-FLY-COPA (1-800-359-2672)
Dominicana 1-800-635-3560
Dominicana Airlines 1-800-327-7240
Eastern Express 1-207-941-6565
Ecuatoriana 1-800-328-2367
Egyptair 1-800-334-6787
El Al Israel Airlines 1-800-223-6700
Emirates 1-800-777-3999
Ethiopian 1-212-867-0095
Faucett Peru 1-800-334-3356
Finn Air 1-800-950-5000
Finnair 1-800-950-5000
Garuda Indonesia 1-800-342-7832
Gulf Air 1-800-438-4853
Iberia 1-800-772-4642
Icelandair 1-800-223-5500
Japan Air Lines 1-800-525-3663
Jet South 1-800-JET-SOUTH
KLM 1-800-374-7747
KLM 1-800-777-5553
KLM 1-800-556-9000 (Cargo)
Kenya Airways 1-212-832-8810, 1-800-343-2506
Korean Air 1-800-421-8200
Korean Air 1-800-438-5000
Kuwait 1-800-4-KUWAIT (1-800-458-9248)
LACSA 1-800-225-2272
LOT Polish 1-800-223-0593
LTU Int Airways 1-800-888-0200
Ladeco 1-800-825-2332, 1-800-432-2799
Lan Chili 1-800-735-5526
Lloyd Aero Bollviano 1-305-374-4600
Lloyd Aero Bollviano 1-800-327-1502 (Cargo)
Lufthansa 1-800-645-3880, 1-800-581-6400
MGM Grand Air 1-800-933-2646
Malaysia Airlines 1-800-421-8641 (Reservations)
Malaysia Airlines 1-800-648-3273 (Rate Desk)
Malev Hungarian 1-212-757-6480
Malev Hungarian 1-800-223-6884, 1-800-262-5380
Martinair Holland 1-800-366-4655
Mexicana 1-800-531-7921
Middle East 1-800-664-7310
Midwest Express 1-414-747-4769
Midwest Express Airlines 1-800-452-2022, 1-800-334-1149
Morris Air 1-801-483-6464
Nigeria 1-212-935-2700
Olympic Airways 1-800-223-1226
Pacific Coast Air 1-800-426-5400
Philippine Airlines 1-800-435-9725, (1-800-IFLY-PAL)
Polish Air-Lot 1-800-223-0593
Polynesian 1-800-592-7100
Private Jet 1-800-546-7571
Qantas Airways 1-800-227-4500
Royal Air Maroc 1-212-750-6071, 1-800-344-6726
Royal Jordanian 1-800-223-0470
Royal Tonga 1-800-486-6426
SAS Scandinavian Air 1-800-221-2350, 1-800-225-5727, 1-800-742-0727
SKY BUS 1-800-755-9287
Sabena 1-800-955-2000
Sabena World 1-800-950-1000
Saudia Arabian Airlines 1-800-472-8342, 1-800-457-8329
Silk Air 1-800-745-5247
Singapore Airlines 1-800-742-3333
South African 1-800-722-9675
Swissair 1-800-221-4750, 1-800-221-6644
TAP Air Portugal 1-800-221-7370
Taca 1-800-535-8780
Taca 1-800-672-8321 (Cargo)
Tan Sasha Honduras 1-800-327-1225
Thai Airways 1-800-426-5204
Varig Brazilian Airlines 1-800-468-2744, 1-800-262-1706, 1-800-252-0403
Varig Brazilian Airlines 1-800-327-2392, 1-800-327-2604 (Cargo)
Viasa Venezuelan Itl Airways 1-800-468-4272, 1-800-221-6112
Viasa Venezuelan Itl Airways 1-800-327-4470, 1-800-445-5598
Virgin Atlantic 1-800-862-8621
YTA Freniva 1-800-382-4484
Yugoslav 1-800-752-6528
Zambia Airways 1-800-223-1136
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Subject: [4-2] Flight Information
OAG FlightCall 900-786-8686 ($.95/min)
Flight arrival/departure/gate information for 17 US airports
USAir Flight Info 800-943-5436
Arrival/departure/gate information for all USAir flights
American Airlines 800-223-5436
Arrival/departure/gate/schedules/fare information for all American
Airlines flights. Good explanation of why flight is delay. Even
tells you what the lowest possible price is.
Northwest Airlines 800-441-1818/800-225-2525
Arrival/departure information for all NW flights.
Delta Airlines 800-DAL-1999
Arrival/departure information for all Delta flights.
United 800-824-6200
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Subject: [4-3] On-line reservation services
Note: NONE of the on-line airline reservation systems provide free
access, and it is unlikely that they ever will. However PCTravel
provides online access to the Apollo CRS (see [4-12] below for details).
On-line airline reservation systems typically allow you to check fares
and schedules and make reservations on most airlines. You can also
pay for the tickets, which can then be sent by mail, or issued at the
airline's airport ticket counter or city ticket office, or by most
travel agents. Some allow you to maintain an online profile of
information to be inserted into your reservations, such as frequent
flyer number and special meal requests. These systems provide the same
basic scheduling and pricing data as the ones used by travel agents,
but with a different user interface, and restricted access to some
information.
The major airline reservation systems with online interfaces are Eaasy
Sabre (owned by the parent company of American Airlines),
Travelshopper (owned by Worldspan, formerly known as PARS), and
Official Airline Guide.
Don't assume that on-line reservation systems are necessarily
complete. In today's electronic age, all too often folks assume that
if information isn't available in electronic form, it doesn't exist at
all. A good travel agent will often be able to find you a cheaper fare
than you can find for yourself, especially for complicated
itineraries (e.g., unpublished consolidator fares). If you like using
an on-line reservation system, use it to identify possible flights and
times, and to get a feeling for the lowest fare, and then talk to your
travel agent. Be as flexible with your travel agent and you were with
the on-line system -- tell them how much you're willing to modify your
travel plans. But don't just give them the flights you found in your
on-line searches; take advantage of their expertise, and ask them if
they can find anything cheaper.
Eaasy Sabre can be accessed as a basic service (no additional fee)
from the following online services:
America Online ($9.95/month; two hours "free" access included.)
Compu$erve (1-800-848-8199; part of basic service, $8.95/month);
use the terminal interface version rather than the Compuserve
Information Manager (CIM).
Delphi ($10/month for four hours, or $20 for twenty hours)
National Videotex ($5.95/month)
Prodigy (1-800-822-6922)
Prodigy replaces the Eaasy Sabre interface with their own user interface.
GENIE provides Eaasy Sabre for free (other than the $4.95/month basic
service fee), assuming you use it during their off-peak hours, which
are 6pm-8am weekdays, all day holidays and weekends. Delphi has an
internet gateway (delphi.com), but one must still pay for the service.
PARS TravelShopper is available on Compu$erve and Delphi.
Official Airline Guide (OAG) Electronic Edition is available on
Compu$erve, Delphi, direct TYMNET (with credit card billing), GEnie
(for a surcharge), Dow Jones News Retrieval, and National VideoTex
(Premium Plus Service; $12/hour charge plus Premium surcharge of $6/hr
non-business, $9/hour business hours). It is also available on the
Internet (telnet to oag.com), but you have to subscribe first to get a
login userid. (For subscription information, press return when asked
for the member number.) The charges for the Internet service are $25
base, plus $0.47/minute peak, $0.17/minute offpeak for access, with
the first 15 days free. Call 1-800-323-4000 for a starter kit.
OAG is also accessible via Sprintnet from the hermes.merit.edu
gateway, but charges by the minute (17 cents/minute offpeak). It can
be fairly expensive, but since it has no monthly minimum, it can be
the cheapest for infrequent users. Also, if the last thing you do
before logging off is make or cancel a reservation, the session is
free.
None of these save you the commission charges, so it doesn't save you
much over calling the airline's 800 number or using a travel agent and
asking lots of "what-if" questions.
All providers of computer reservation systems are required to be
non-biased (e.g., even though Eaasy Sabre is owned by American
Airline's parent company, they don't preferentially list American
first). Some accomplish this by listing the flights in a particular
order, like
shortest non-stop flights
shortest flights with transit point(s)
shortest aggregate times for one-city connections
shortest aggregate times for multi-city connections.
but in random order within each category. Travel agents can, of
course, restrict the display to the flights of specific carrier(s).
The major computer reservation systems (CRS) are: Apollo (United,
USAir), EAASY SABRE (American), System One (Continental),
Worldspan-PARS (Northwest, TWA), and Worldspan-DATAS II (Delta). Each
carrier also has its own internal reservation system. All of the major
CRS's are interconnected, so you can make a reservation for one
airline on a system owned by a different carrier. However, in some
cases the connections are by TTS (yikes!), so it can take up to 24
hours to actually confirm the reservation. Some of the systems have
faster links (e.g., EAASY SABRE has fast links with United, Delta, and
Continental). When the reservation is complete, you'll get a record
locator number (6 alphanumeric characters). This number can allow a
travel agent to locate the reservation. (In general, even when placing
a reservation with a travel agent, it's a good idea to ask for and
record the record locator number.)
OAG sells subscriptions to "OAG Flightdisk", a flight schedule
information program that is updated monthly. It contains the same
flight information as the airline reservation systems. (Of course, you
can't make reservations with it, but this might be a cheaper
alternative than the online services for some people.) The cost is
$216 for the North American Edition (US, Canada, Mexico, and the
Caribbean), $216 for the European Edition (Europe, Africa, and the
Middle East), or $269 for the Worldwide Edition. It comes in DOS,
Windows, and Macintosh versions. For more information, write to
Official Airline Guides, 2000 Clearwater Drive, Oak Brook, IL 60521,
call 1-800-323-3537, or fax 708-574-6565. (Prices valid until
4/15/94.) OAG also sells (printed) subscriptions to OAG Pocket Flight
Guide for $70 a year (normally $87); it comes with a free subscription
to Frequent Flyer Magazine and a copy of the OAG Top Restaurant Guide.
Call 1-800-DIAL-OAG (1-800-342-5624) and mention special offer 2AZV6
to subscribe or for more information. (Offer valid through 3/31/94.)
For US domestic flight information and pricing, such services are
supposed to be as accurate as the information available to travel
agents and the airlines themselves. The same may not necessarily be
true for flights originating outside the US. Note, also, that
consolidator fares are NOT listed in online services, nor in the
databases used by airlines and travel agents. Consolidator fares are
obtained by calling up the consolidators themselves.
When making a reservation through an online CRS, it is best to also
do the ticketing through that CRS. Some CRS, like SABRE, will
automatically cancel the reservations if they aren't ticketed through
SABRE by some time limit. If the cancelation message isn't ignored by
the airline's computer, your reservations could wind up being
canceled, even if you've already purchase the tickets, leaving you
with a mess to straighten out.
More information on online CRS's can be found in John Levine's FAQ on
the topic, a copy of which may be found in
ftp.cs.cmu.edu:/user/mkant/Travel/
as the file online.faq.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [4-4] Complaints and Compliments
If you have a legitimate complaint about service, write a
well-written letter to the appropriate people at the airline. This can
often result in real results. But don't become a habitual complainer.
Many airline customer service departments keep records of all
complaints and compliments. If you complain too often, you'll get
tagged as a flamer, and they'll ignore future complaints. If you are a
frequent flyer and don't complain often, complaints can end up in
travel discount compensation.
Airlines do keep track of who complains and how frequently, so if you
complain too often about trivial matters, your complaints won't have
the same effect as they would if you complained about only important
problems. Keep track of the names of all airline personnel you deal
with, and be as specific as possible about dates, times, places, and
flight numbers in your letter. Enclose copies of any receipts for
expenses incurred because of missed/delayed flights.
When writing a complaint letter, tell the airline what it can do to make
you happy. If you're realistic and reasonable, giving them some
leeway, your complaints will be addressed much more quickly. Venting
anger in a complaint letter won't get you results. Remember, the
people reading your letter aren't the cause of the problem, and they
have to read thousands of angry letters. They're human beings, with
feelings. So if they get a nice, calm letter, that describes the
problem, suggests a solution, and says what you want to make you
happy, they are much more likely to respond positively.
If you're complaining on the spot (e.g., they lost your reservation)
and feel you're not making headway with the agent/clerk you're talking
to, try asking to speak to a supervisor or manager. Sometimes clerks
don't have the authority to address the problem. The more flexible you
are, the more likely they are to come up with a solution that
satisfies you. Losing your temper and getting loud and obnoxious won't
help. Remember, the person you're talking to probably wasn't
responsible for the problem, so yelling at them hurts them without
being productive. Keep the conversation at a calm and professional level.
(Breaking down into tears will get you a lot further than any quantity
of angry words. Why in doubt, start crying.) If you're making no
progress, try calling your travel agent collect and telling them about
the problem.
If the person you're talking to doesn't seem willing or able to help,
try talking to someone else. Different employees tend to give
different answers to the same questions. The person you're talking to
may not know the answer to your question, or may not have the
knowledge and/or authority to deal with the problem properly. Try
asking for that person's supervisor.
Whatever you do, please don't complain about something minor or make
meaningless threats. Saying "I'm going to tell all my friends to stop
using your airline" or "I'll make a post on netnews, nyeah, nyeah,
nyeah, nyeah" really won't accomplish anything, unless you happen to
be the CEO of a large multinational firm.
The Department of Transportation accepts consumer complaints
about airlines and records, compiles, and publishes statistics on
airline performance. The statistics are available in a monthly Air
Travel Consumer Report. For a free copy, write to the Office of
Consumer Affairs, US Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, NW,
Room 10405, Washington, DC 20590. 202-366-2220. The statistics vary a
lot from month to month. They receive 400-500 complaints a month from
consumers. Here are statistics for 1993:
On-time (within 15 minutes of schedule):
Best -- Southwest 88.0%
Northwest 85.7%
America West 79.9%
American 79.3%
TWA 77.9%
Delta 77.2%
USAir 76.7%
Continental 74.6%
United 73.7%
Worst -- Alaska 68.5%
Avg -- 83%
Overbooking:
Best -- American 89 involuntary bumps/19 million passengers
Worst -- America West 1,805/3.7 million
Mishandled baggage:
Best -- Southwest
Worst -- America West
Complaints per 100,000 fliers:
Best -- Southwest 0.10
America West 0.48
Delta 0.50
Northwest 0.55
USAir 0.58
United 0.67
American 0.88
Continental 1.28
Worst -- TWA 1.45
On average, airlines mishandle 4.75 bags per 1,000 passengers. An
on-time flight is one that arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled
arrival time. Some airlines list longer flight times or connection
times to improve their standings in the DOT statistics, so take these
numbers with a grain of salt.
Current DOT rules exempt flights delayed by mechanical problems from
being counted as late. As of January 1, 1995, the exemption will be
eliminated.
According to a recent survey by JD Powers & Associates, for long
trips, customer satisfaction was highest on Delta, Continental, and
Northwest, and for short trips, customer satisfaction was highest on
Delta, Southwest, and Alaska.
Customer Relations Departments of various airlines:
Aloha Airlines Inc., Customer Relations, PO Box 30028, Honolulu, HI 96820.
Alaska Airlines, Consumer Affairs, PO Box 68900, Seattle, WA 98168.
American Airlines, 1-800-967-2000
America West Airlines, Consumer Affairs, 222 South Mill Ave., Tempe,
AZ 85281, 1-800-247-5692.
Continental Airlines, Customer Relations, PO Box 4607, Houston, TX
77210-4607, 712-987-6500.
Delta Air Lines Inc., Consumer Affairs, Hartsfield Atlanta Int Airport,
Atlanta, GA 30320, 404-765-2600.
Hawaiian Airlines, Consumer Affairs, Honolulu Intl Airport, PO Box 30008,
Honolulu, HI 96820-0008.
Northwest Airlines, Consumer Affairs, Minneapolis/St. Paul Intl Airport,
St. Paul, MN 55111, 612-726-2046.
Southwest Airlines Co., Customer Relations, PO Box 37611, Love Field,
Dallas, TX 75235-1625, 214-904-4000.
Trans World Airlines Inc., Customer Relations, 605 Third Ave., New
York, 10158, 914-242-3172.
United Airlines, Customer Relations, PO Box 66100, Chicago, IL 60666,
312-952-7843.
USAir, Consumer Relations, Washington National Airport, Washington, DC
20001, 703-892-7020.
Federal Aviation Administration/US DOT, 202-366-2220.
American Society of Travel Agents, Consumer Affairs Dept., 703-739-2782.
If you encounter problems as a result of buying tickets from a
fly-by-night organization (pun intended), contact the Better Business
Bureau, the state office of consumer protection, and/or the state
attorney general's office. You can protect yourself by using a credit
card to purchase the tickets and by confirming your reservation
directly with the airline.
If you ask the flight attendant for a comment card, they'll provide
one. (Most of the comment cards use business reply mail, so you don't
even have to pay for the stamp. But there isn't much space on the
cards, so you may be better off writing a letter and paying the
postage yourself.)
If you have a legitimate complaint that isn't being addressed (not
just a consumer out to see how much you can get out of the airline)
and you have tried all of the avenues discussed above, send a letter
to the airline by certified mail, return receipt requested. In this
letter begin with a summary of the problem you encountered, the steps
you took to try to seek compensation, the kind of compensation your
were seeking, and the airline's response so far. Do not get into a
long-winded story, and stick to the facts -- if your letter is longer
than a page or so, it's too long. Be as businesslike as possible in
this letter. (You should enclose with the letter photocopies of all
your correspondence with the airline, and a copy of your long-winded
detailed description of the events that transpired.) State that this
is your final attempt to resolve the matter directly with the airline.
Ask for a response by a given date, not earlier than one month in the
future. This will make it clear that you are serious in pursuing your
complaint. If you don't get a response, take the whole kit and
kaboodle to your lawyer, and feed the vultures.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: [4-5] Glossary
Fly-by-wire aircraft
Fly-by-wire aircraft use a computerized control system that decides
how to best control surface movements, engine fuel-flow rates, and so
on. There is no direct connection between the pilot and the flight
control surfaces in this kind of setup. Instead, the pilot gives
instructions to the computer which interprets them, hopefully
correctly. The computer is able to update the settings hundreds of
times per second, something human pilots can't do, and in theory
results in a more efficient, smoother, and safer flight. Some more
recent planes are even able to land themselves. The controversy with
such planes concerns their failure modes. If the computer conks out
for some reason, it may not be possible for the pilot to dead-stick
the plane in for a landing, since some of the more efficient control
surfaces must have their parameters updated very frequently to remain
airborn. Also, some early fly-by-wire planes may have had programming bugs
that caused unexpected behavior. Finally, the Airbus A320, a
fly-by-wire aircraft, has been perceived as accident-prone,
allegedly because of the fly-by-wire system, though this has never
been proven. Currently the only fly-by-wire commercial airplanes
are the Airbus A320 and A340, with the A319, A321, A330, the Boeing
777 and the Tupolev TU204 entering production shortly. Many
military aircraft have been fly-by-wire for years. (For further
discussion of fly-by-wire aircraft, see the extensive RISK archives on
this topic.)
"Glass-cockpit" aircraft
Such aircraft are not fly-by-wire. They display several flight
instruments on a CRT screen in the cockpit, and have an integrated
flight management system (sophisticated autopilots) but still have a
direct connection between the cockpit control column and the control
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