Looking For Some Good News?
As a person who’s been held hostage and treated like cargo by the airlines, I’m thrilled with this new law.
Via Think Progress:
Responding to horror stories of stranded travelers, the Obama administration ordered airlines today to allow passengers to disembark from planes that have been stuck on the tarmac for more than three hours. With the move, the Obama administration is “sending an unequivocal message to airlines that it won’t tolerate” excessive delays:
Airlines will be required to provide food and water for passengers within two hours of a plane being delayed on a tarmac, and to maintain operable lavatories. They must also provide passengers with medical attention when necessary. […]
“Airline passengers have rights, and these new rules will require airlines to live up to their obligation to treat their customers fairly,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.
I’m lovin’ it.
It is sad that the airlines have to be regulated into treating their customers humanely, but I guess in the world of greed that’s what it has come down to.
this will hurt the free market! if we just let them regulate themselves, SURELY they will do the right thing, or the free market will hurt them… just like the financial industry, and the insurance industry, and the energy industry, and the labor force and….
This is Flight Care Reform (FCR). The government is going to require every American purchase frequent flyer miles with not less than 5% of their income under penalty of law to insure that the Airlines are profitable and will give everybody a bottle of water and a toilet that works on a plane. People who cannot afford the miles or those who don’t fly will fall into the TLP or Tough Luck Plan that will require them to pay a fine or go to jail.
This leaves a remaining 87% of family income that the government will be working to extort to private corporations.
Quite honestly, if an airline treated me like that I would never fly with them again, despite the costs and layovers.
I’d rather be driving.
This is excellent news. I’m in Austin now on my way to CA –there are so many people who have been trying to get home since Saturday. A guy I sat next to had a flight delayed all day yesterday and finally cancelled at midnight. USAIR offered a flight home on Weds. With no offer to put him up or anything. He decided to spring for a SW ticket just to go home today. But I’ve talked to a few people with miseable stories today. Some of these airlines ahould be shot. Makes me glad that the toughest thing I had to do this weekend was shovel out my car
but EVERY airline does this. just like every insurance company is a ponsi. there can be no real competition because the whole industry has made a pact to treat consumers like shit. Im glad Obama has put his foot up the airline’s ass
Brian, driving doesn’t work for International travel. It also doesn’t work for people with limited vacation to drive across the country. Love you, but you really should consider getting out of Seaford – which is not the end of the world, but I hear you can see it from there! 😉
for the record, my family IS driving to florida for our vaca, but we are insane and can go 16 straight hours in a car with only pee stops.
I always drive to FL too. It ain’t a bad drive at all. Personally, I haven’t flown since before 911. I don’t rreally see it as “value added” if I’m travelling within 1500 miles.
Say no to planes, take the train.
A. Price is quite wrong. There is plenty of competition in the airline industry. The idea of pulling away and waiting is in response to government regulations. I approve of this regulation. It seems to reasonably safeguard the welfare of people who would otherwise be disadvantaged. If you complained too strenuously then government regulations would have allowed them to kick you off without a refund.
Government was once again the problem and it had to fix the problem it allowed to fester.