Terry Trippler, an acknowledged expert on the quirks of airline fares and rules, is developing a family of apps for iPhones and Android devices.
The apps offer travelers a quick guide to airline policies on cancellations, delays, reroutings, flying standby and other perils.
Available this week are apps that explain the rules for changing a reservation or getting standby status for an earlier or later flight on the same day.
In another week or so, Trippler said he expects to add rules on delays and cancellations. “Then we follow with tarmac delays, oversold flights/denied boarding and diverted flights.”
“My idea,” he continued, “is to have the air traveler at least have the basic rules available with them on an app. We are planning to have close to 30 different rules for 16 domestic airlines. Once the domestic is more or less on auto-pilot, we will do the international, which will be about 30 airlines.”
Trippler also is considering a list of airlines that have ticketing agreements so that if a flight is canceled, users can check their mobile devices and see which airlines will honor that carrier’s tickets.
So far the apps are free, as the project is supported by advertising.
American has so far taken out the most ads, but “we are now beginning to sell to other airlines, which will give them links when we refer to their airline,” Trippler said.
He’s also offering listings to agents but so far has “no takers.”
The apps are described at Trippler’s site, ThePlaneRules.com, and are downloadable from the iPhone App Store and the Android Market; enter "The Plane Rules" as the search term.