Cheap flights have their ups and downs

The price may be right, but discounts often mean an unpleasant experience

“You get what you pay for” and “the devil is in the details” are two clichés that can apply to cheap flight deals.

We buy in knowing there are no frills, but there are also no guarantees on a whole lot of things, such as departure times, unscheduled connections or even the carrier and the type of aircraft.

There can be extra charges for carry-on bags, checked luggage, printed boarding passes, seat location, early boarding, amenities such as drinks, snacks, headphones or Wi-Fi, and changing or cancelling a flight. Many are willing to endure cramped seats with zero perks for up to four hours on a 2,000-kilometre flight to the sunny south in the dead of winter. But winging it on bare bones, long-haul overseas flights can be nasty ordeals, where passengers arrive rumpled, stressed and grateful it’s finally over — until the cheap return flight home.

An example of not getting what they thought they paid for comes from a GTA reader who, months in advance, booked two $100 one-way flights from Niagara Falls, N.Y., to Orlando, Fla., departing in October with a U.S. budget air carrier.

Billed as “direct,” it was scheduled to leave mid-afternoon, but a couple of weeks after purchase the airline informed customers the departure time was bumped 12 hours ahead and now included a Fort Lauderdale stopover.

As it was still a pretty good deal, the couple decided to stick with it and adjust their schedule. In the fine print, few people ever read the airline clearly says there are “no guarantees.”

“Times shown in a timetable or elsewhere are not guaranteed and form no part of the terms of transportation,” the airline’s carriage contract states.

It “may, without notice, substitute alternate carriers or aircraft, and may alter or omit stopping places shown on the reservation.

“Schedules are subject to change without notice. (The airline) is not responsible or liable for making connections (on its own flights or flights of any other carrier), or for failing to operate any flight according to schedule, or for changing the schedule of any flight.”

All air carriers doing business in Canada are required to have a tariff, also known as a contract, or conditions of carriage, listing policies and obligations regarding fares, rules, liabilities, limits, passenger rights and forms of compensation regarding flight delays, cancellations and over bookings.

It’s also where disgruntled passengers often discover too late that they didn’t get what they assumed they paid for. The Canadian Transportation Agency’s website lists the tariffs of major domestic and international airlines that fly in and out of the country and it states “the tariff is the contract of carriage between the carrier and charterer/passenger and as a carrier you are obligated to respect your tariff and apply its conditions.”

Passenger rights information can be found on the Government of Canada’s website and passengers on flights to, from or within the country who feel they should be compensated by an airline can submit an online complaint form with the Canadian Transportation Agency.

Airlines aren’t liable for flight disruptions due to weather, natural disasters, political turmoil or other conditions beyond their control, but are at fault for delays or cancellations due to their schedule changes and errors. Flight terms to watch out for: Direct flight: Not always from point A to B and can include a stopover along the way to pick up additional passengers or to refuel.

Non-stop flight: From point A to B, these are premium-priced, uninterrupted flights along the quickest routes flown by most of the major airlines.

Connecting flight: A stop along the way where passengers and their luggage disembark and continue on another flight, which may take off within an hour or much later.

Firm fares: The price of the flight alone, which can involve additional cost for seat preference, amenities, customer schedule changes or cancellations.

Flexible fares: The option of rescheduling or cancelling a flight within specific time limits, for a fee, in accordance with an airline’s policies.

Freedom fares: A premium cost but with the most flexible options and perks. Fare types are general terms. Some airlines use their own terminology. hstancu@thestar.ca