Passenger Bill of Rights for air travel

[pilot fish]

No I don't.

Not surprised.:shakehead

 

[OHGoDive]

This post of yours sums up just how serious you think this is. That's easy to joke about when you never had to go through it. Why you think this is funny only YOU know. People like you are the reason the airline will not change till they are forced to.:shakehead

Well, thank you for your insight. That post actually did sum up how serious this thread is to me.

As I've said again and again, this is a very unfortunate situation and I feel badly for the people affected. To the people whose honeymoon was delayed, I feel sorry for them. But, do I think that I should have to subsidize the airline so that they can reimburse them what you feel they should be repaid? Emphatically, NO!

Look, these people booked a flight out of New York City in February. Don't you think they sort of accepted the fact that there MIGHT be a snowstorm on the day they flew? Who is responsible for that? The airlines? ME? Forget it.

What about all the people in Pennsylvania who were trapped in their cars for 21 hours because a stretch of interstate was closed? Does the government need to repay them for their time? Their lost wages? Are the airlines responsible to fly them another day if they got stuck driving to the airport in a storm?

The outcry in this thread about the government needing to step in and force the greedy airlines to repay absurd claims of damage to people because they were delayed, inconvenienced, or otherwise hampered is flawed.

There was a snowstorm. People got stuck. They couldn't figure a way to get themselves off of the flight. And you want the airlines to repay them for every expense that they could possibly think of because of the delay.

The delay DUE TO A FREAKING SNOWSTORM THAT SHUT DOWN THE AIRPORT AND IMPAIRED AIR TRAVEL IN & OUT FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

And you want me to pay more money for my air travel so that the airlines have enough cash in reserve to pay out all of these claims and still stay in business. I don't think so.

Geez. They got a full refund and a free roundtrip to use another time. Several hundred bucks worth of compensation for every person on the flight. Not enough? What would satisfy you? $500? $1000? Whatever they can think of, carte blanche?

There is risk in travel. That risk is inherent. One of the risks is being delayed. The car in front you swerves, crashes, and you are stuck in traffic for a few hours. Who compensates you? Do you scream for Congress? Or do you just say, crap, and figure out a way to get on with it?

Same here. I advocate taking care of yourself. Don't want to wait it out? Then, like many said, get out of the plane and get on with life.

There is way too much drama and hysteria in the world. This just isn't a huge problem, except for the couple of hundred people affected by it.

You're right Pilot Fish, this just isn't that serious. A good sense of humor would keep people a lot happier when crap like this does happen to them.

 

[cdiver2]

And tell both to hurry, because the mutiny & revolt to escape the tube is really pretty eminent. :light:


For now. It should not have happened the first time, or the second, or the third. The American pilot was reported to have decided to return to the terminal without permission - saying he should have done it sooner...!

But the Jetblue pilots stuck it out there for 7 & 11 hours? Must have been warned what would happen to them if they did what the American pilot did.

Should never be allowed to happen, but will again if allowed.

I would like to see a legal limit imposed, and two hours seems plenty to me. Beyond that, I'd going to start asking other passengers who would be with me in taking action. They'd arrest me if I tried something alone, but if 20 of us took action as a team - doubt it.

I'm thinking start with a chant, get the whole plane screaming together - with cell phones on to the various news stations listening and recording. "Live from JFK, here is what we are hearing from a cell phone call from a plane full of mutinous passengers who have been entombed for hours on a XYZ plane parked within sight of an empty gate"

Leaving Toronto airport for London, shortly after take off (still climbing) there was a loud bang from a engine and smoke coming out off it. After dumping fuel over the lake it did an emergency landing with passengers in the crash position. The plane landed safely and passenger put into a departure loung...Non smoking. The smokers lit there cigs with shaking hands and were told to put them out by staff. I can not repeat on the board what they were told to do, then the police were brought in and they were told the same thing..they just stood there glaring at the smokers.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION

 

[OHGoDive]

Who is going to pay their hotel bill, their food ,meals for All Inclusive they paid for in advance? This thing gets worse when you think about what they did and the paltry remedy they are offering.

As to this particular brand of hysteria, I can only offer this. Whenever I have had flights delayed/canceled and missed a night at a resort (and :gasp: this happens), when I've spoken with the resort and explained the situation to them, they have unfailingly removed any unused charges from my bill.

Always.

I didn't need Congress. I didn't need a bill of rights. I didn't get arrested. I didn't wind up in Guantanamo.

Go figure.

 

[cdiver2]

I understand that it is not good. But, I saw pictures and video from inside at least one of the planes. People did not look overheated (or underheated), they did not look malnourished or dehydrated. They were not covered in fecal matter.

I'm not arguing that this was an enjoyable experience for anyone involved. It was not. Obviously. But, keep it in perspective. Government intervention is not the answer.

BTW, I've been on flights that have run out of water, and had inoperable lavatories (not the same flight). And those planes were in the air. Things happen, they aren't the end of the world, and they don't require legislation.

Is not always what you get. After siting on the ramp at LAX for three hours and begging for water and being refused I was ready for extreme measures.
BY the way we found out later the reason for the delay the fires around LA was causing to much smoke to safely take off, it was so bad the had EVACUATED THE TOWER.

 

[cdiver2]

So what next? A bill of rights for restaurants, emergency rooms, long lines at the super market. If you don't like the service someone is providing, don't patronize them.

What if you got to the check out and the line was long and slow, so you decide to just leave. Sorry sir you can not leave get back in line and shut up.

 

[OHGoDive]

What you see... Is not always what you get.

Amen to that. Especially if you watch the national news coverage of this story. Why is it that they always only show the baby-faced newlywed couple whose honeymoon was ruined, just ruined, by that evil airline?

They never show the poor schmoe who was being drug to his mother-in-laws house for an in-law reunion that he knew would resemble an episode of Springer? (And you KNOW these guys were in the airport) "Gee, not only don't I have to spend the week with that old shrew, but I get a free ticket to boot? Sweet!" You never see that.

Or the business guy who wasn't ready for that presentation he was flying to. "Please God, just give me one more day to prepare". He never makes it on air either.

It's like Catherines woman after the tsunami whose lost luggage was "devastating". It just makes better copy. And the news folks know it. And exploit it. It sells.

 

[pilot fish]

do I think that I should have to subsidize the airline so that they can reimburse them what you feel they should be repaid? Emphatically, NO!

You are not subsidizing any airline. Where is that notion coming from? You are preventing airlines from confining passengers on a plane for 11 hours, which is totally uncalled for and cruel.

Look, these people booked a flight out of New York City in February. Don't you think they sort of accepted the fact that there MIGHT be a snowstorm on the day they flew?

What you are mising is that they were prevented from deplaning for 11 hours. hello????? That is something they did not reasonably expect, or have to endure. Delayed? They expected that might happen. Confined on the runway apron for 11 HOURS? NO, that is not what they should have expected. That is cruel and unusual



.

claims of damage to people because they were delayed, inconvenienced, or otherwise hampered is flawed.

This goes way beyond normal expected delay and exceeds "inconvenience" by a magnitude of 100. This constitues illegal detention.

There was a snowstorm. People got stuck. They couldn't figure a way to get themselves off of the flight. And you want the airlines to repay them for every expense that they could possibly think of because of the delay.

Again, this illustrates your lack of understanding as to what actually occured.

There is risk in travel. That risk is inherent. One of the risks is being delayed.

You see this as mere delay? Amazing!

Don't want to wait it out? Then, like many said, get out of the plane and get on with life.

They were not allowed to get off. Are you reading this thread?

 

[pilot fish]

What if you got to the check out and the line was long and slow, so you decide to just leave. Sorry sir you can not leave get back in line and shut up.

Amen. What some people are missing, which you fully understand, is that they were prevented from leaving FOR 11 HOURS.

 

[OHGoDive]

... but it's too good to pass up

Often, we do harmless things just for practice. Everyone needs to be comfortable with civil disobediance, just in case, for when the bad guys are in charge.

You mean the Democrats?