Holidaymakers who feel like they’re trapped when they set foot on a plane really are, according to a business travel expert who has set out to expose the ‘dirty secrets’ of airlines.

When passengers buy a plane ticket, they become so vulnerable to the terms and conditions that they ‘virtually have no rights’, said Joe Brancatelli.

Very few people bother to read the fine print and, as it turns out, a plane ticket isn’t a contract, leaving passengers at the mercy of the carrier. Brancatelli has revealed five little-known facts that will likely give travellers plenty to think about the next time they book a flight.

The travel dates and times on your ticket mean nothing

Brancatelli, founder of the travel website JoeSentMe, told Yahoo Travel that a ticket is not a contract and the times and destinations on it are not binding.

In their contract of carriage, airlines say they have no duty to honour their posted schedule and may alter or omit the destinations, he added.

He said the contracts usually have language that reads something like: ‘Times shown in timetables or elsewhere are not guaranteed and form no part of this contract. Schedules are subject to change without notice.’

The airlines do this to protect themselves from litigation in the event of a diversion or cancellation due to things such as weather or an on-board medical emergency, he said.

You agree to a contract when you buy a ticket

Although the ticket itself is not a contract, passengers agree to the airline’s contract of carriage when they buy a ticket

Brancatelli said the contracts are in the airline’s favour.

He said: ‘We passengers treat them just like we treat cellphone contracts. We don’t read them. And that’s where most of the bizarre stuff is buried.’

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