Smart Travel: Airlines tightening rules on tickets, luggage, refunds

Linda and Dr. Don Overend are principals in The Travel Group, a full-service travel agency.

The major airlines have published several new rules recently and some of them have a direct effect on passengers.

One of the changes, in effect, does away with paper tickets.

Proper tickets

E-tickets have become popular with business travelers because a paper ticket doesn't have to be delivered or picked up on a short notice flight.

Vacation travelers, however, have tended to continue to prefer having a real paper ticket in their hands. If flights are changed or canceled, a paper ticket will expedite changes of flights, and even changes to another carrier than the original ticket represented.

In an effort to reduce the expense of paper tickets the airlines will charge a $20 additional fee for issuing a paper ticket. This fee will apply whether the ticket is purchased from an airline ticket counter or from a travel agency.

No refunds

Another change in ticketing is to make most tickets totally nonrefundable.

In recent months tickets could be exchanged or refunded, although there was a charge for exchanges and refunds. The refunds were not made in cash, and the ticket became a voucher to be used toward a later flight.

For travel after Oct. 1, any changes must be made on or before the departure date of each of the ticketed flight segments. There will still be a fee charged for the changes as before.

The big change is that after the departure date, the ticket will have absolutely no value for either exchange or refund. They have announced that for tickets purchased prior to Aug. 30 carriers will honor the fare rules in place when purchased.

Luggage

Finally, the airlines have announced maximum checked luggage dimensions.

Carry-on luggage requirements have not changed, but are being more strictly enforced. Passengers are now allowed two pieces of checked luggage only and these bags must adhere to a maximum size of 62 linear inches. This means that the length, plus the width, plus the height of a bag, added together must not measure more than 62 inches.

Bags above this size will incur an oversized luggage charge, and we have heard of charges of as much as $90 per bag for such luggage.

These additional charges must be paid for at the check-in counter in cash or by credit card.

So every traveler should get out their tape measure and make sure any luggage they plan to use fits within the maximum dimensions allowed before heading for the airport.

Changes are being made almost daily so it is wise to check with your travel agent or the airline for the most current rules.