Congress sticks its nose into JetBlue fiasco (2 articles)

[EveningStar]

Thanks to the stupidity of JetBlue, we now have Congress coming to the rescue with more regulations.

JetBlue debacle spurs passenger rights bill in congress

Boxer to introduce legislation in Senate to boost fliers' rights

[Strutt9]

Maybe, but at least Greyhound buses have comfortable seating.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Ref post #17.

I agree with you 100%. The airlines brought it on themselves. Because of it, our dung beetle congresscrooks are now involved.

Regards.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Ref post #21.

?

[sionnsar]

I agree with you.

[sionnsar]

If they don't like the decisions made by a particular airline they can fly a different carrier the next time around.

Obviously you don't work for a large corporation. I don't get a choice of carriers.

[conservative in nyc]

Push the empty planes AWAY from the frigging gates and get people OFF!

So where's the hard part here people (i.e. Congress / FAA / Airlines)...? A three year old can figure this out but you can't? Of what use are you then?

Where do you propose to put the empty planes? These problems are usually caused by too many planes coming into an airport and not enough planes leaving in the middle of a storm that also closes taxiways, makes ramps icy, and makes it difficult for the airline employees who would push back the planes to get to work. Gate space and ramp space isn't built in a day, especially in the middle of a snowstorm.

(1) Pass a law that after 1 hr. an aircraft is required to return to the gate.

You're assuming that there is an open gate to return to (there usually isn't), and the plane is not stuck in taxiway gridlock (it usually is) and is actually able to get back to the gate . And one hour? I'd rather wait on the plane. If you go back to the gate, you lose your place in line, and it will take an hour just to unload and reload the passengers.

The only thing a law like that would do is force airlines to cancel all flights in potentially marginal weather. Then, people will complain that the airline canceled their flights when there was nothing but flurries in the air, and now they can't get home and have to camp out at the airport for a week.

(2) People who were required to get off a plane are required to be on the first plane out; no skipping. No other flight may leave until those people are on their way.

Making the concept of a confirmed reservation meaningless. That idea works well until you miss an important event when the airline postpones your flight on a sunny, calm day because it snowed two days before.

Congress should leave airline logistics to the airlines.

[HitmanLV]

Going after the airlines to clean up their act in these situations is smart politics for Pelosi & crew. Many GOPers will join them.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

To bad it had to come to this.

Regards.

[HitmanLV]

I agree. I have no doubt that any congressional action will end up being counterproductive. I also have no doubt that at this stage, any congressional action will be very popular.

[conservative in nyc]

The airlines are asking for this because they are too greedy and cheap to cancel flights.

The so-called greedy airlines allowed passengers who wanted to fly out on another day to do so without penalty AND also tried to get the flight off the ground for those passengers who didn't cancel their reservations. It probably would have been cheaper for the airline to cancel the flight due to weather and refund everybody's ticket. Under the airlines' contracts of carriage, that's usually all they have to do in a weather event. They technically don't even need to arrange for a way for you to get home.

Those passengers who were supposedly "held hostage" on planes came to the airport willingly, and got on the airplane willingly, knowing the weather forecast called for snow and ice. Planes will be delayed on snowy, icy days. Being stuck for 10 hours on the ground in an airplane isn't pleasant and is a bit excessive. But it has happened before and could happen again.

[SoCal Pubbie]

This issue is more proof of my contention that citizens living in the United States of America in the 21st Century are free from most of the truly dire problems that have plagued mankind for all of recorded history. No more fears of slavery, nor indentured servitude, nor debtors prison, nor conquest by foreign armies, nor diseases that wipe out half those born before they reach adult age, nor murder by hostile tribes, nor religious persecution, nor plague, nor asset seizure by the crown.

Instead, we raise excessive medical co-payments, peanut and fragrance allergies, dodge ball in schools, sports mascots, hot weather, and waiting in planes on the tarmac to the level of existential crisis.

[af_vet_rr]

The airlines are asking for this because they are too greedy and cheap to cancel flights.

That's the problem. They could solve the problems themselves, but when it may cost them money, they'll buckle down and hold tight, all the while ignorantly inviting the government to intervene and make things a thousand times worse.

If I was on an airliner that went through this or the Dallas thing last year, I would have been calling 911 as well as the media. Tell the cops we are being held against our will, tell the media the airliner is treating us like ****, and both of those things will do much more than Congressional intervention - the airliner will freak over the publicity, and the cops will be asking the crew what the hell they are doing.

[af_vet_rr]

Dang, EveningStar and TexasCajun both beat me to it - guess I should have read the thread all the way through before posting.

[Bryan24]

If a plane is allowed to hold a 2-hour planned flight on the ground for 9 hours, then there needs to be a solution for no water, food or bathroom facilities.

If it is as simple as bringing a water/food supply and cleaning crew to the plane, do it.

[rellimpank]

---exactly---

[EveningStar]

Hell. Don't worry about it. I don't read every post on a long thread either. :)

[IonImplantGuru]

Delta Travelers Suffer Through Similar JFK Ordeal

Not really the same at all. From the article you linked on the Delta (non)event, here's the last sentence:
A spokesperson for Delta tells CBS 2 the plane in question on Wednesday night never left the gate and passengers were free to get on and off the plane as they pleased.

So what one had in that story were a couple of inexperienced teeny-boppers that were afraid to deplane.

[Central Scrutiniser]

You don't understand the economics of the business.

Everyone says they will pay more for bigger seats and food and all that, but NO ONE will.

If there is a flight you need and a good airline has it for $250 and a cheezy no frills airline has it for $235, 9 times out of ten the customer will choose the cheezy no frills airline.

The market has decided that low price trumps all, and the airlines can only offer those low price flights by packing you in, not feeding you and all that.

Its been that way ever since deregulation.

Just ask MGM Grand Airlines, McClain, Air One, Regent Air, and the employees at Midwest Airlines. The first four offered better service and bigger seats and all went bankrupt, the last offered bigger seats and better food (as did Alaska), but had to scrap that when they lost their shirts.

[EveningStar]

Nice misleading headline, eh?

[af_vet_rr]

If there is a flight you need and a good airline has it for $250 and a cheezy no frills airline has it for $235, 9 times out of ten the customer will choose the cheezy no frills airline.

There are exceptions - a lot of times Southwest is far cheaper and more comfortable than my options on other airlines. Of course, as far as I can tell, SWA hasn't needed the federal government to bail them out time and again. However they do it, I would much rather fly them than most others (and hell, I'd pay more to fly SWA if I had to).