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July 24, 2008 8:09:13 AM CDT

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Tips for Grumpy Fliers

Posted Apr 11, 08 12:06 PM CDT in Arts & Living 

(Newser) – With customer complaints up 60% and operational performance at an all-time low, it's not a good time for the airline industry—or its passengers. CNN offers these tips to fractious fliers:

  1. Research, research, research: Check out airline performance at FlightStats.com or FlightAware.com before buying your ticket, book a flight during an airport’s least congested times (midday or late night).

  1. Be prepared: Fly early to increase your chances of making another flight if yours is canceled, and arm yourself with a list of alternatives in advance to avoid the gate-agent-stampede.
  2. The one-bag rule: If you don't check a bag, the airline can't lose it. If you absolutely must check a bag, never put valuables in it.
  3. Know your rights: Read your carrier's contract of carriage to know what you're entitled to. International flights tend to be more generous.

Source CNN

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Passengers sit on a crowded Chinese airplane.   (Magnum Photos)
Frustrated passengers wait in line at the Buenos Aires city airport, Tuesday, June 12, 2007, after Aerolineas Argentinas airline canceled all its domestic flights.   (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Passengers wait for their delayed flight due to Typhoon Wipha Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007 at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China.   (AP Photo)
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