Passenger Bill of Rights for air travel

[OHGoDive]

No, this is not due care and diligence. This is unusual and potentially unsafe, tired pilot. You did not buy a ticket with the expectation of sitting on a runway for 7 or 11 hours. 11 hours over the Pacific is in the normal course of business, sitting on a runway for 11 hours is not. You bought a ticket to FLY, not to be confined or unreasonably detained.

Oh brother.

Potentially? Why would you consider him/her to be more tired or unsafe after 11 hours than if he/she had actually been flying the plane for all that time? He/she could have been napping. So far as I know, that crew did not take off, so I am pretty sure that the unsafe, tired pilot was addressed. (BTW, the 11 hour flight was INBOUND, so, tired/unsafe pilot doesn't even apply here).

I expect an airline to get me where I want to go. There are many things that happen in the course of that arrangement that I do not expect.

They were not detained. They were paying passengers on an airplane that was unfortunately (and stupidly) delayed.

Would you be claiming they were kidnapped if the plane had diverted to another city?

Such rhetoric.

 

[HowardE]

Oh brother.

Potentially? Why would you consider him/her to be more tired or unsafe after 11 hours than if he had actually been flying the plane for all that time? He/she could have been napping. So far as I know, that crew did not take off, so I am pretty sure that the unsafe, tired pilot was addressed. (BTW, the 11 hour flight was INBOUND, so, tired/unsafe pilot doesn't even apply here).

Do you know that the pilot was "fresh" for this flight?

 

[OHGoDive]

Do you know that the pilot was "fresh" for this flight?

Nope, but I also do not know when he actually took off again. I doubt it was soon after they finally got to the gate.

 

[HowardE]

I think it's pretty safe to say that this whole episode was a big screw up and that I am sure that all of the negative publicity for the airline is more than enough to prevent this from happening again.

 

[pilot fish]

Do you know that the pilot was "fresh" for this flight?

Exactly. This pilot could have just arrived on a longer flight and was doing this shorter flight which turned out to be 7 and 11 hours of just waiting time. Point is, we all don't know and the airlines are hinding the facts.

 

[OHGoDive]

I think it's pretty safe to say that this whole episode was a big screw up and that I am sure that all of the negative publicity for the airline is more than enough to prevent this from happening again.

Yes, exactly. I actually think JetBlue will come out of it pretty well, since they've already publicly acknowledged and apologized for it. They are refunding ticket prices, and paying additional restitution. I feel confident that they'll do everything they can to ensure that it won't happen again.

In short, they are doing something that the other airlines haven't done. They are taking responsibility for the episode.

We need more of that, and less of the "common sense" that says we need laws to force corporations to do what's best for their customers and for their own survival in the marketplace.

 

[pilot fish]

The airlines are feeding you a poop sandwich and you're asking for mayo and relish.:shakehead

Oh brother.

Potentially? Why would you consider him/her to be more tired or unsafe after 11 hours than if he/she had actually been flying the plane for all that time? He/she could have been napping. So far as I know, that crew did not take off, so I am pretty sure that the unsafe, tired pilot was addressed. (BTW, the 11 hour flight was INBOUND, so, tired/unsafe pilot doesn't even apply here).

I expect an airline to get me where I want to go. There are many things that happen in the course of that arrangement that I do not expect.

They were not detained. They were paying passengers on an airplane that was unfortunately (and stupidly) delayed.

Would you be claiming they were kidnapped if the plane had diverted to another city?

Such rhetoric.

 

[OHGoDive]

Exactly. This pilot could have just arrived on a longer flight and was doing this shorter flight which turned out to be 7 and 11 hours of just waiting time. Point is, we all don't know and the airlines are hinding the facts.

Would you have been more comfortable with the pilot waiting 7 hours in a lounge? A bar? A hotel room? A car? What makes the cockpit so inherently a dangerous place to wait?

Tin-foil hat aside, why do you automatically assume that they are hiding facts?

There was a snow storm. High winds. Extremely cold temperatures. These conditions lasted for hours and hours.

It's not a conspiracy to keep people from getting to Aruba.

 

[OHGoDive]

The airlines are feeding you a poop sandwich and you're asking for mayo and relish.:shakehead

You wouldn't be able to afford the meal you're asking Congress to prepare for you. At least I won't starve to death.

 

[SteveAD]

There are two significant differences between sitting in an airplane for a 7+ hour flight and a 7+ hour delay on the runway.

1) If I have booked a trans oceanic flight I expect a long flight, if I booked Boston to Miami I expect my flight to be less than four hours. A delay that is 200% of the expected flight time is ludicrous.

2) The climate control systems on aircraft are designed to keep the passengers comfortable (allegedly) in flight. They do not work well (or are not supposed to be turned on) on the ground. Delays in hot weather get ridiculously hot. Delays in winter can be uncomfortably chilly.