The consequence under this new rule, airlines would have to pay $27,500 for each passenger stuck for more than three hours on the tarmac......I can see how this would discourage Airlines from loading up planes that may indeed need more than 3 hours to take off due to de-icing, plowing, traffic, etc.
Personally I would rather they do the 3 hour prep while at the gate and we are on the terminal, than to wait 3 hours in the plane on the tarmac. I'm also glad they canceled my flight instead of me going to the airport, getting delayed over and over only to be canceled. I've been both stuck on the tarmac for hours and had a flight canceled after hours in the airport, both fates worse than tooth extractions.
But I also feel what Jonny said. I'm flying AirTran and the guy on the phone wasn't even cordial. I know those operators are getting shit on by people when things are beyond their control, but at least don't bullshit me nor sound irate.
I would go absolutely out of my mind sitting on a cramped plane for 3 + hours that wasn't moving, and I don't see any reason for airlines to do this to people.
The rule was set in place because of some real horror stories where people sat for 9+ hours. At that point I think passengers should be legally entitled to take over the plane and force the crew (using physical violence if needed) to pop the fucking hatch and get out.
My brother-in-law and his wife and two kids left Logan Sunday morning thinking they were going to Disney. They landed at JFK instead and they've been there since and now expect to get on a flight at 6 PM tonight. The food court was operating in a limited capacity and my nephew texted us that he spotted a 60 year old woman "stealing booze."
On the one hand, the airlines got fucked by the weather. I mean, I don't think there is as much "fucked up logistics," etc as there are, "3 fucking feet of snow in 60 MPH winds". Add to it that it's the one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, and there are less flights available, and you have a recipe for disaster. Try putting 1 week's worth of passengers on two days worth of planes, and it is all bad.
That said, the customer service has sucked throughout, and the tone of some of the, "well, it's ok- we'll get you back in a week," is just crazy.
I just consider myself lucky that I was in a place where I could drive back... Atlantic Ave was a ghost town last night, it was really crazy. Plus, I've heard one car go down my street all day. The quiet is really cool.
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I would go absolutely out of my mind sitting on a cramped plane for 3 + hours that wasn't moving, and I don't see any reason for airlines to do this to people.
The rule was set in place because of some real horror stories where people sat for 9+ hours. At that point I think passengers should be legally entitled to take over the plane and force the crew (using physical violence if needed) to pop the fucking hatch and get out.
My brother-in-law and his wife and two kids left Logan Sunday morning thinking they were going to Disney. They landed at JFK instead and they've been there since and now expect to get on a flight at 6 PM tonight. The food court was operating in a limited capacity and my nephew texted us that he spotted a 60 year old woman "stealing booze."
Who could blame her?
That said, the customer service has sucked throughout, and the tone of some of the, "well, it's ok- we'll get you back in a week," is just crazy.
I just consider myself lucky that I was in a place where I could drive back... Atlantic Ave was a ghost town last night, it was really crazy. Plus, I've heard one car go down my street all day. The quiet is really cool.