Air travel
There are many situations which could affect the flight schedule, e.g. weather conditions, schedule changes, crew rest, and maintenance work. Customers should always reconfirm flight times, even if they have already got the seat allocation and boarding pass.
To ensure that the flight leaves on time, customers must be on board the aircraft at least ten minutes (30 minutes international) before the scheduled departure time of the flight, even if they have already checked in for the flight. If the customer is absent, the reservation may be cancelled without compensation.
The airline will pay for accommodation if the flight is cancelled or delayed because of circumstances under their control and if no alternative transport is available. If the flight was cancelled or delayed because of circumstances not under their control (e.g. weather conditions or air traffic control), overnight accommodation will not be provided.
Customers with full-fare tickets will generally be booked on the next available flight. Other customers will be permitted to travel as standby if they arrive at the airport within two hours of their originally scheduled departure time. If somebody is going to miss the flight, the airline's reservations service should be contacted for re-booking information immediately.
The customer should follow some rules and recommendations when travelling by air. First of all the baggage must be securely closed and locked and every piece of it must be labeled with the name and destination address. British airways, for example, suggest a label to be put inside each piece of baggage.
All personal items as cabin baggage might be carried with on board. British Airways recommend passengers include important documents, cash, valuable items, medication and laptops in their baggage not pack the things mentioned in the checked baggage.
As for mobile phones they are to be switched off up to the end of the flight because of the possible affect on aviation equipment work. Besides, British Airways advice that all software on lap-top computers is backed up before travelling.
To avoid the delay with getting the baggage back each item of it will be given a destination tag showing the flight number and a section will be attached to the ticket. To be sure that everything is all right it’s necessary to check that the tag shows the correct destination and flight number.
The departure gates for British Airways flights close ten minutes before the aircraft departure time and late arrivals at the gate may not be allowed to board.
In addition to the given information it’s important to remember if a passenger is said that he hasn’t a seat on a flight because of overbooking, he is to be careful what he says. If he is rude to the ground staff, he will not be allowed to board a flight.
The company introduces the rules prohibiting customers from boarding flights if they use ‘threatening, abusive or insulting words to ground staff or crew’. The airline claims that every year the staff has to deal with numerous cases of air rage, including the minor disagreements over smoking on board, but also more
serious incidents involving violent or drunken behaviour. The check-in staff believes that they can prevent these problems if they deal with difficult passengers before they actually get on the plane. On the other hand it’s impossible to ban from flight everyone who gets a bit stroppy, someone can be understandably angry with the delay or some other problem.
Questions:
Does the airline have to pay for the hotel if the flight is cancelled?
Why are the customers to be on the aircraft at least ten minutes before the departure?
What happens if the customer misses the flight?
Why should the customer reconfirm the flight twenty-four hours in advance?
What are the important tips for passengers?
Why is it recommended to switch off the mobile phones and portable computers?
Why should the passengers be careful about what they say?
Why can the passenger be not allowed to board the flight?
Why does the staff have to deal with different cases of passengers’ rude behavior?
What do you think it’s possible to prevent some problems if the staff deals with difficult passengers before they actually get on the plane?