Flying in Wartime

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The airlines want to be understanding during wartime. For flyers whose travel plans have been disrupted by the war or who are simply too apprehensive to fly right now, all the major carriers are advertising relaxed restrictions on their nonrefundable tickets. They will allow customers to rebook their flights without incurring the typical $100 change fee.

Sounds good, but watch out for the hidden catches. On most carriers, you have to reschedule your flight by no later than your original date of travel. Which means if you need to cancel that flight to Miami this week but don't know yet when you'll be able to take the trip--hey, even President Bush doesn't know when the war is going to end--you're out of luck. The airlines are allowing only one free change. If you pick a new date but have to change it a second time, you'll get stuck with the $100 fee.

One trick: most airlines will allow you to change your itinerary as well as your date of travel. That means if you have no idea when you'll be able to take that aborted Miami trip but need to fly to San Francisco in May, you can switch the ticket to that itinerary. If the fare is lower, most airlines will give you a voucher for the difference.

AMERICAN, UNITED and CONTINENTAL have nearly identical policies: travel must be rebooked by April 18 or by the original date of your flight, whichever comes sooner; the new trip must be taken by Dec. 31. NORTHWEST offers a similar deal, with one unfortunate exception: if your rebooked trip costs less than the original, you won't be refunded the difference. And for flexibility, DELTA is the choice. It's the only airline of the big five that doesn't require instant rebooking; you can get an electronic ticket number to be used to rebook flights in the future--so long as you do it by May 31.

Check your airline's website for the most up-to-date rules