This Customer Service Plan is applicable to Sterling Airways’ scheduled flights and has been adopted in accordance with the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR § 259.5).
1. Offering the Lowest Fare Available.
When you inquire about a fare or make a reservation through our website, one of our Ticket Counters, or our Telephone Reservation Center, we will disclose if the lowest fare available to the general public for the itinerary you have requested is available elsewhere, if that is the case.
2. Notification of Known Delays, Cancellations and Diversions.
Sterling Airways will provide you with timely information regarding known delays, cancellations and diversions within 30 minutes of when we become aware of a change in the status of a flight. We will provide this information at U.S. airports through announcements in the boarding gate area and, where available, via Flight Information Display Screens (FDIS) at the airport. We also will provide this information on our website and via our Telephone Reservations Center, upon inquiry by any person. Finally, to the extent we permit customers to subscribe to flight status notification services, we will deliver this information using the contact information provided by the customer.
3. Providing On-Time Baggage Delivery.
If for some reason your baggage does not arrive on your scheduled flight, we will make every reasonable effort to locate and return your bag to you within 24 hours. We will compensate you for reasonable, actual and verifiable interim expenses resulting from delayed baggage as required by 14 C.F.R. Part 254 for domestic flights and as required by applicable international agreements for international flights. In the event your bag is lost, we will reimburse you for any fee charged to transport that bag.
4. Allowing Certain Reservations to be Cancelled Without Penalty for 24 Hours.
When you make a reservation through our website, one of our Ticket Counters, or our Telephone Reservation Center, we will allow you to cancel and receive a full refund, provided you cancel the reservation within 24 hours of purchase and your first flight’s departure is more than one week away. You may cancel with no penalty on our website or by calling our customer support center.
5. Providing Prompt Ticket Refunds.
We will provide prompt refunds for eligible tickets once we receive your request accompanied by any required documentation. When refunds are allowed we will provide prompt refunds, less any applicable service fees, to the original form of payment. In the event of a flight cancellation or oversale situation, we will refund fees charged to you for services for which you paid but were unable to use. If you used a credit card to make your purchase, we will submit the request for a refund to the credit card issuer within 7 business days of receiving your completed request for a refund. The credit card issuer will refund the purchase price under the terms of the credit card agreement; your credit card statement may not immediately reflect the refund. For purchases made with cash, check or other forms of payment, we will issue your refund within 20 business days of receipt of your completed request for a refund. For refund assistance, please contact our customer support center.
6. Accommodating Travelers with Special Needs.
Sterling Airways will provide our customers who have special needs, including individuals with disabilities and unaccompanied minors, with the level of attention, respect and care they deserve. In doing so, we will accommodate customers with disabilities, as required by Part 382 of U.S. Department of Transportation rules, and other special-needs customers as set forth in our policies and procedures, including during lengthy tarmac delays. If your travel includes another carrier, you should inquire with that carrier in the case of special travel needs, as different carrier policies and procedures may apply.
7. Meeting Customers’ Essential Needs During Long Tarmac Delays.
In accordance with our Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays, and if safety and security conditions permit, Sterling Airways will provide for your essential needs during a tarmac delay, including food, water, operable lavatory facilities and, if needed, access to medical treatment. We also will update customers on a flight experiencing a tarmac delay every 30 minutes about the status of the tarmac delay, including the reason for the delay, if known. In addition, if the aircraft is at the gate or another disembarkation area with the door open and the opportunity to deplane exists, we will notify customers of this opportunity every 30 minutes. However, customers deplane at their own risk and the flight may depart without them
8. Handling “Bumped” Customers with Fairness and Consistency.
As required under 14 C.F.R. Part 250, in the event of a flight oversale situation, customers holding a confirmed reservation will not be denied a seat until we first ask for volunteers willing to give up their confirmed seats. If there are not enough volunteers, we will deny boarding to customers in accordance with our written policy on boarding priority. If you are involuntarily denied boarding and have complied with our check-in and other applicable rules, we will give you a written statement that describes your rights and explains how we determine boarding priority for an oversold flight. In most cases, you will be entitled to compensation and transportation on an alternate flight. Sterling Airways makes complete rules for the payment of compensation, as well as our policy about boarding priorities, available at U.S. airports we serve. We will follow these rules to ensure you are treated fairly. Customers should keep in mind that they may be denied boarding without compensation if they do not check in on time or do not meet certain other requirements, or if Sterling Airways offers the customer alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the customer’s destination or first stop-over no later than one hour after the planned arrival time of the customer’s original flight.
9. Disclosing Cancellation Policies, Frequent Flyer Rules , Aircraft Configuration and Lavatory Availability.
Sterling Airways will disclose cancellation policies, frequent flyer rules, aircraft seating configuration, and lavatory availability on our website, and, upon request, through our Telephone Reservation Center.
10. Notifying Customers of Changes in Their Travel Itineraries
We will advise you in a timely manner regarding any changes to your itinerary, using the contact information you provided to Sterling Airways when you made your reservation.
11. Responsiveness to Customer Complaints.
Sterling Airways will acknowledge, in writing, each written consumer complaint within 30 days of receipt and send a substantive written response to each such complainant within 60 days of receipt. Written consumer complaints may be submitted by regular mail, email or fax – see our Contact Us page for addresses and phone numbers.
12. Services Provided to Mitigate Customer Inconvenience Resulting from Flight Cancellations or Misconnections.
Sterling Airways will do its best to contact you in advance regarding a flight cancellation, using the contact information in your reservation. In the event of a cancellation or misconnection, we will confirm you on the next flight we operate that has seats available in the same class of service, when rebooking is necessary. Additionally, our airport staff and Telephone Reservation Center representatives will make available information about your rebooking. Finally, if, as a result of a flight cancellation, misconnection or delay within our control, your travel is interrupted for more than 4 hours after the scheduled departure time, we will provide applicable amenities where possible.