Passenger Bill of Rights for air travel

[pilot fish]

+1

The pendulum has swung so far that passengers are being treated simply as objects. If you confront and assert, you often are threatened with "we can call security if you don't sit down and be quiet". Security is being utilized as a way to shield and perpetuate BAD customer service. (not to mention illegal)

"We don't care...we don't have to!" used to apply to 'ma bell' and now applies to airlines.

A Passenger Bill of Rights please, or alternatively people just have to be creative and assertive to get off the plane, as a SAFETY MEASURE.

You nailed it, tonka. amen

 

[Kim]

Security is being utilized as a way to shield and perpetuate BAD customer service. (not to mention illegal)

So maybe THAT should be the focus of any new legislation; something that actually protects rather than removes individual rights.

 

[OHGoDive]

This thread is taking on the tone of dive safety threads. People now keep bringing up isolated incidents of doom out of the millions of incidents that occur normally and routinely every day. And then, based on those isolated cases, they conclude the entire system has failed and needs legislation to correct it.

In many ways, it is the same as the people who latch on to the isolated incidents in scuba, and want better policing and intervention to "fix" such an unsafe, unregulated activity.

Air travel is not nearly so flawed as you guys seem to think that it is. Despite the news clippings that you can dig up. Millions of people fly every year. Virtually all of them do so without incident. Any incident. Whatsoever. There aren't too many things in this world that can claim successful numbers like that. Well, except scuba.

 

[pilot fish]

So maybe THAT should be the focus of any new legislation; something that actually protects rather than removes individual rights.

Who's rights would be abridged? One of the goals of a passenger bill of rights is to PROTECT; protect you, the passenger, from abusive treatment.

 

[Cacia]

I saw an update on this...the passenger Bill of rights, the plane goes back to the terminal. Guess what? they are now cancelled. That's what the news said.

I like it the way it is now, because the smart people get off, the whiners who want a freebie and the cool kicked back types can sit it out.

Options for everybody.

 

[DandyDon]

This thread is taking on the tone of dive safety threads. People now keep bringing up isolated incidents of doom out of the millions of incidents that occur normally and routinely every day. And then, based on those isolated cases, they conclude the entire system has failed and needs legislation to correct it.

In many ways, it is the same as the people who latch on to the isolated incidents in scuba, and want better policing and intervention to "fix" such an unsafe, unregulated activity.

Air travel is not nearly so flawed as you guys seem to think that it is. Despite the news clippings that you can dig up. Millions of people fly every year. Virtually all of them do so without incident. Any incident. Whatsoever. There aren't too many things in this world that can claim successful numbers like that. Well, except scuba.

That is exactly why it would Not cost that much to guarantee a minimum level of proper treatment. As Tonka well said: "...passengers are being treated simply as objects. If you confront and assert, you often are threatened with "we can call security if you don't sit down and be quiet". Security is being utilized as a way to shield and perpetuate BAD customer service. (not to mention illegal)

And again, trusting the market to settle it out with the regional carriers really won't work. The majors will just dump bad ones when they're exposed, contract new, bed regionals who will abuse like the above described carrier did.

 

[OHGoDive]

That is exactly why it would Not cost that much to guarantee a minimum level of proper treatment. As Tonka well said: "...passengers are being treated simply as objects. If you confront and assert, you often are threatened with "we can call security if you don't sit down and be quiet". Security is being utilized as a way to shield and perpetuate BAD customer service. (not to mention illegal)

And again, trusting the market to settle it out with the regional carriers really won't work. The majors will just dump bad ones when they're exposed, contract new, bed regionals who will abuse like the above described carrier did.

Ok, but I'm not following the logic. If I am forced to solve a problem that affects only a very small percentage of my business, I can not isolate the solution to only the times when it occurs. I have to implement safeguards across my entire operation to ensure that it never happens. I have to prevent this from ever occurring. You're not allowing me to deal with it myself, in a way my customers demand, if and when it ever does happen.

It's not like the fix is to go out and tighten one bolt on an assembly. I would have to ensure that no bolt would ever come loose.

Just saying "be nice to passengers, don't abuse them" won't work, because you'll always have jerky staff who ignore the rule, and jerky passengers who, frankly, deserve to be abused.

I'll need to implement a regimen that satisfies you, the lawmakers, that I am reformed. That regimen will have to be tangible and visible, but not necessarily effective. See every corporate response to every government-imposed regulation for evidence of this.

I'm with Catherine on this, use your rights to choose. More laws are not going to eliminate the possibility of a bad experience.

And like she said, when it does, the new "right" certainly could be to just cancel the flight, refund the money to the passengers, and non-abusively say sorry, have a nice day, try again next week. Because that will be the new "rule". Me, I'd rather get to where I'm going, even if it takes a bit longer.

Don't like the choices? Find other ones, they're out there. Like Kim said, you just might have to pay more for them.

 

[pilot fish]

I'm totally with you on this, Don. The airlines have been asked to fix this a few years ago, it is not only JetBlue, and they have not. A passengers bill of rights is needed to keep airlines from this ever decreasing level of customer care. We are not luggage!

That is exactly why it would Not cost that much to guarantee a minimum level of proper treatment. As Tonka well said: "...passengers are being treated simply as objects. If you confront and assert, you often are threatened with "we can call security if you don't sit down and be quiet". Security is being utilized as a way to shield and perpetuate BAD customer service. (not to mention illegal)

And again, trusting the market to settle it out with the regional carriers really won't work. The majors will just dump bad ones when they're exposed, contract new, bed regionals who will abuse like the above described carrier did.

 

[OHGoDive]

I'm totally with you on this, Don. The airlines have been asked to fix this a few years ago, it is not only JetBlue, and they have not. A passengers bill of rights is needed to keep airlines from this ever decreasing level of customer care. We are not luggage!

Dude, I have more ways to get to more places today that I could not get to 10, 20, certainly 50 years ago, easily, with few hassles, for a heck of a lot less money than ever before. More options, lower cost. That is what I usually want from my carrier. Air travel is safe, cheap, and convenient. If I want better service, or more amenities, I fly first class. I honestly can not remember the last time that I had what I would consider to be a serious issue on a flight. And I fly a lot.

Please, what are you talking about? Do you ever fly? Luggage? Explain exactly what you mean when you claim that passengers are considered as, or treated like, luggage by airlines.

You have long since stopped even trying to be rational in this discussion. Please, feel free to post a clever animated icon in response.

 

[dlndavid]

You have long since stopped even trying to be rational in this discussion. Please, feel free to post a clever animated icon in response.

what about me? :wave-smil