flat tire rule

noun

An airline's policy of putting a passenger on the next available flight without a penalty if they arrive too late for the scheduled flight.

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Meanings

nounflat tire rule (plural flat tire rules)

plural flat tire rules

  1. USAn airline's policy of putting a passenger on the next available flight without a penalty if they arrive too late for the scheduled flight.

Origin

A vehicle developing a flat tire might be the cause of delay in reaching an airport.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

flat tire rule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flat%20tire%20rule

MLA

“flat tire rule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flat%20tire%20rule. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flat tire rule,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flat%20tire%20rule.

Source: flat tire rule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.