Rule 80: Revised Routings, Failure to Carry, and Missed Connections
 
  1. Definitions for the purpose of this rule, the following terms have the meaning indicated below:
    1. Comparable air transportation means transportation provided by air carriers or foreign air carriers holding certificates of public convenience and necessity or foreign permits issued by the civil aeronautics board.
    2. Connecting point means a point to which a passenger holds or held confirmed space on a flight of one carrier and out of which the passenger holds or held confirmed space on a flight of the same or another carrier. All airports through which a city is served by any carrier shall be deemed to be a single connecting point when the receiving carrier has confirmed reservations to the delivering carrier.
    3. Delivering carrier means a carrier on whose flight a passenger holds or held confirmed space to a connecting point.
    4. Misconnection occurs at a connecting point when a passenger holding confirmed space on an original receiving carrier is unable to use such confirmed space because the delivering carrier was unable to deliver him to the connecting point in time to connect with such receiving carrier's flight. Note: the same rules regarding delivering and receiving carriers responsibility apply at the subsequent point(s) of misconnection as would apply at the point of original misconnection.
    5. New receiving carrier(s) means a carrier or combination of connecting carriers, other than the original receiving carrier(s), operating between the point of misconnection and the destination or next point of stopover or connecting point shown on the passenger's ticket, on whose flight a passenger is transported from the connecting point.
    6. Original receiving carrier(s) means a carrier or combination of connecting carriers on whose flight(s) a passenger originally held or holds confirmed space from a connecting point to a destination, next stopover or connecting point.
    7. Outbound flight means the flight on which a passenger originally held confirmed space beyond the point where the schedule irregularity or failure to carry occurs.
    8. Schedule irregularity means any of the following irregularities:
      1. Delay in scheduled departure or arrival of a carrier's flight resulting in a misconnection;
      2. Flight cancellation, omission of a scheduled stop, or any other delay or interruption in the scheduled operation of a carrier's flight;
      3. Substitution of equipment of a different class of service; or
      4. Schedule changes which require rerouting of passenger at departure time of the original flight.
  2. Changes requested by passenger
    1. When change can be made at the passenger's request, carrier will effect a change in the routing (other than the point of origin); destination carrier(s); class of service; or validity specified in an unused ticket, flight coupon(s), or miscellaneous charges order provided that:
      1. Such carrier issued the ticket; or miscellaneous charges order;
      2. Such carrier is designated in the "via carrier" box, or no carrier is designated in the "via carrier" box, of the unused flight coupon or exchange order for the first onward carriage from the point on the route at which the passenger desires the change to commence; however, where the carrier that issued the ticket is designated as carrier for any subsequent section and has an office or general agent at the point on the route where the change is to commence or where the passenger makes his request for such change, the reissuing carrier shall obtain such issuing carrier's endorsement; or
      3. Such carrier has received written or telegraphic authority to do so from the carrier entitled, under (a) and (b) above, to effect the change.

        Exception: carrier will not require endorsement for transportation documents governing portions of transportation wholly within the area comprising the U.S.A.
    2. Method of effecting change the change requested by the passenger shall be effected by:
      1. Endorsement of such unused ticket, flight coupon(s), or exchange order to the new receiving carrier;
      2. Reticketing of the passenger.
    3. Applicable fare
      1. The fare and charges applicable as a result of any such change in routing, destination, or carrier shall be the fare and charges that would have been applicable if transportation had been purchased as of the date of commencement of carriage provided that:
        1. Additional passage at the through-fare shall not be permitted unless request has been made prior to arrival at the destination named on the original ticket or miscellaneous charges order;
        2. After the carriage has commenced, a one-way ticket shall not be converted into a round-trip or circle-trip ticket at the round-trip or circle-trip discount for any portion already flown; and
        3. After carriage has commenced a round-trip ticket can be converted into a circle-trip ticket, or vice versa provided that request is made prior to the passenger's arrival at the destination named on the original ticket or miscellaneous charges order.
      2. Any difference between the fares and charges applicable under sub-paragraph (a) above, and the fares and charges paid by the passenger, will be collected from the passenger by the carrier accomplishing the rerouting, who will also pay to the passenger any amounts due on account of refunds.
      3. Except as otherwise provided in Rule 85 the fare and charges applicable when a rerouting or change in ultimate destination is made at passenger's request at an office of carrier prior to arrival at the ultimate destination named on the original ticket, shall be the fare and charges that would have been applicable had the original ticket designated the routing and/or ultimate destination as revised by the new ticket. Any difference between the fare and charges so applicable and the fare and charges applicable to the original ticket issued to the passenger will be collected from or refunded to the passenger, as the case may be.
      4. Notwithstanding the provisions of this rule, carrier will not accept for any purposes under this rule passenger tickets or related transportation documents issued by any carrier which is in substantial default of its interline obligations or which voluntarily or involuntarily has become the subject of bankruptcy proceedings ("the defaulting carrier").

        Exception: notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, tickets issued by the defaulting carrier will be reissued/rerouted only between the points named on the original ticket which were served by carrier solely for transportation via carrier, provided such tickets were issued by such defaulting carrier in its capacity as agent for carrier and specified transportation via carrier. When tickets are accepted, no adjustments in fare will be made which would require carrier to refund money to the passenger.
    4. Expiration date
      The expiration date of any new ticket issued for a change in routing, destination, carrier(s), class of service, or validity will be limited to the expiration date that would have been applicable if the new ticket had been issued on the date of sale of the original ticket or miscellaneous charges order.
  3. Involuntary revised routings
    In the event carrier cancels a flight, fails to operate according to schedule, fails to stop at a point to which the passenger is destined or is ticketed to stop over, substitutes a different type of equipment or class or service, denies boarding to a passenger holding a confirmed reservation because there is insufficient space on the flight to accommodate him, induces a passenger to surrender voluntarily his confirmed reserved space so that another passenger is not denied boarding involuntarily, or removes or refuses passage to a passenger in accordance with rule 25, carrier will either:
    1. Carry the passenger on another of its passenger aircraft on which space is available without additional charge regardless of the class of service;
    2. Endorse to another carrier or other transportation service, the unused portion of the ticket for purposes of rerouting;
    3. Reroute the passenger to the destination named on the ticket or applicable portion thereof by its own or other transportation services; and, if the fare, excess baggage charges, and any applicable service charge for the revised routing or class of service is higher than the refund value of the ticket or applicable portion thereof as determined by Rule 90, carrier will require no additional payment from the passenger, but will refund the difference if it is lower;
    4. (a) Transport the passenger on another economy flight on which space is available; or

      (b) Transport the passenger to the destination shown on its portion of the ticket on carrier's next first class flight on which space is available, at no additional fare, if so doing will provide an earlier arrival than the next economy flight on which space is available; or
    5. Make involuntary refund in accordance with Rule 90(d).
  4. Missed connections
    In the event a passenger misses an onward connecting flight on which space has been reserved because the delivering carrier did not operate its flight according to schedule or changed the schedule of such flight, the delivering carrier will arrange for the carriage of the passenger or make involuntary refund in accordance with Rule 90.
  5. Free baggage allowance
    An involuntarily rerouted passenger shall be entitled to retain the free baggage allowance applicable for the type of service originally paid for. This provision shall apply even though the passenger may be transferred from a first class flight to a business/economy/tourist/economy/ thrift class flight and is entitled to a fare refund.