Passenger Bill of Rights for air travel

[pilot fish]

ohgo, no incidents = no cost. Hello?

 

[OHGoDive]

ohgo, let me just say, it is to your credit that you have tried stay on topic in much of your posting. I hold that you are incorrect and coming from a biased position but you have defended that skewed and baised position with passion and some considerable effort, albeit wrongheaded. You tried to state your weak case with vigor, while others, namely ddavid, resorted to inane off topic one liners.

Try to be a bit more open minded?

Uh, you mean see things your way? Thanks for the, um, compliments, but, no thanks.

 

[letterboy]

OK So I was sitting here reading and rereading trying to make sense how this would work, I started to think about how when I buy a plane ticket for say august now it might cost 400 dollars, and if I wait until the week before I am flying that same ticket could cost me 800 dollars. So does this mean that the 150% is across the board so the guy who bought his ticket in advance would get 600 back and the guy that waited would get 1200 back? This whole getting money back thing is just not rational.

I can see that it would force the airlines to become more responsible, maybe, but all it would take is one bad day, like last week, to bankrupt all the airlines. How would you get cross country than? Drive? Take a train?

OHH here is an idea, Why not Drive or take the Train anyway? going over seas? Take a ship, not fast enough for you? Fly and take the same risks we have been taking for years and not been bothered by.

 

[OHGoDive]

ohgo, no incidents = no cost. Hello?

No, not true, and I think you know it.

If things were left the way there are now and there were no incidents, then there would be no cost. That is what I'm advocating. It's in the airlines best interest to eliminate the incidents, because they cost money. Real money. In compensation, bad press, fouled up schedules, on and on.

They WANT to eliminate incidents.

But, your way, the Bill of Rights way, adds costs whether or not there are any incidents (and, of course, there still would be). Across the board costs. Forget about incidents. Costs of implementing safe guards, reports, personnel, coordination, so on and so forth. Those costs will be IN ADDITION to compensation. And they will be higher because they won't just address the relatively rare incidents today.

Your argument here is akin to airline security being free, because if security ensures no attacks then:
no terrorist attacks on airlines = no cost for security.

Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[OHGoDive]

OK So I was sitting here reading and rereading trying to make sense how this would work, I started to think about how when I buy a plane ticket for say august now it might cost 400 dollars, and if I wait until the week before I am flying that same ticket could cost me 800 dollars. So does this mean that the 150% is across the board so the guy who bought his ticket in advance would get 600 back and the guy that waited would get 1200 back? This whole getting money back thing is just not rational.

You might be on to something. How many people do you think would start hedging air travel? The weather report shows a huge snow storm heading your way, due to hit tomorrow. Just start buying up tickets for you and your family, then cash in when the flights are delayed. Cha ching.

Could be better than the lottery.

We would need some bureaucracy to ensure that won't happen. Cha ching the other way

 

[tedtim]

ohgo, no incidents = no cost. Hello?

I suggest that you take a look at the entire proposed "Bill of Rights" rather than just the part about flight delays. There is a considerable cost associated with compensation for lost luggage part of the bill. No "Bill of Rights" will prevent luggage from being lost. If you implement a system to reduce the amount of lost luggage it will cost someone somewhere a bunch of bucks. In additon, the cost of insurance for the type of coverage will increase. Ding, ding, ding - increase in ticket prices.

Wardric has it right when he said:

Now, to stay on topic. Ask anyone if they want more service or security and you'll get a 100% yes. Put a price on it and you will see the numbers drop amazingly.

By all means, pass the Bill of Rights, but before it happens at least do a full examination of all of the clauses and tell the travelling public what the impact will be on travel - perhaps less airlines because they would go bankrupt if they have a major event causing delays, less supply of seats, higher costs, higher prices.

 

[pilot fish]

Let passengers off the plane after it has been sitting idle on the runway apron for 3 hours and no CHA CHING. But, if the plane sits on the runway for over 3 hours, and you keep the passengers trapped on the planE, then there will be some bata bing! If you want to avoid the cha ching, don't cause the bata bing. Simple

 

[tedtim]

Let passengers off the plane after it has been sitting idle on the runway apron for 3 hours and no CHA CHING. But, if the plane sits on the runway for over 3 hours, and you keep the passengers trapped on the planE, then there will be some bata bing! If you want to avoid the cha ching, don't cause the bata bing. Simple

Again, what about the rest of the proposed "Bill of Rights?"

 

[pilot fish]

Again, what about the rest of the proposed "Bill of Rights?"

I would have to look at each issue individually. I would allow for some wiggle room on some issues so the airlines could stay solvent and make a profit but there IS NO ROOM FOR ANY MEASURE SHORT OF THE 3 HOUR LIMIT ON REALASING PASSENGERS FROM CONFINEMENT. I'm actually being very lenient on this issue. It really should be just two hours.

The mere $9.07 a pound repayment for lost luggage would have to be adjusted upwards. I'm flexible.

 

[radinator]

I had something like this happen to me. This was after a 5-day 400 mile bike ride, and I was eager to get home.

It was on September 10 2001 in New York City, and we sat on the plane AT THE GATE for 8 hours waiting for rain to clear before they canceled the flight. We were given a room and were booked to be on the 9 am flight the next day.

The flight the next morning also got delayed a few minutes do to an 'irregular passenger incident'. Needless to say, after sitting at the gate a bit that plane didn't take off either.

After sitting on the plane that long, I would support some sort of law preventing the airlines from holding us prisoner for so long just sitting there. Better yet, since I don't like unnecessary laws how about just allowing us to leave the plane and the involuntary imprisonment as it sits there without charging us (the passengers) with a felony.