JetBlue debacle spurs passenger rights bill in congress

[dogday]

Rep. Michael Thompson plans to introduce a bill to address delays, time on tarmac, cancellations and lost bags.
February 15 2007: 6:31 PM EST


WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The stranding of hundreds of passengers aboard JetBlue Airways Corp. planes for up to 10 hours Wednesday has revived calls to enact an airline customer rights law.

Rep. Michael Thompson, a California Democrat, said Thursday he planned to introduce a bill that would address delayed flights, time on the tarmac, cancellations, and lost or damaged luggage.

The airline industry beat back a similar push for legislation in 1999 after agreeing to a adopt a voluntary customer service initiative in response to a Detroit snowstorm that snarled Northwest Airlines operations.

"A lot of my colleagues who have heard about it have contacted me and expressed an interest" in the legislation, both in the House of Representatives and Senate, said Thompson in a telephone interview with Reuters.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/15/pf/jetblue_congress.reut/index.htm?section=money_mostpopular

[liberal N proud]

1. Wasn't there a call for this a couple of years ago?

It was just shot down by a Republican congress?

I recall something a while back about this following a similar incident.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

2. i thought so too

don't remember much about it though...

sP

[dogday]

5. Yes there was

The airline industry beat back a similar push for legislation in 1999 after agreeing to a adopt a voluntary customer service initiative in response to a Detroit snowstorm that snarled Northwest Airlines operations.

[liberal N proud]

6. Let me guess, they offered Congress people vacations to warm places

More lobbiest corruption.

[malaise]

3. Something must be wrong with human beings who

pay good money to be transported from point A to Point B, tolerate the loss of their luggaage and refusal of airlines to refund the contents in their entirely and now allow themselves to be imprisoned for ten hours.

They would have to arrest me. I was not sitting on that aircraft for 10 hours. Why do people tolerate such infringements of their basic rights.

Sp.

[dogday]

4. Kind of like we tolerate all the crap our government

has thrown at us... We are trained from school age to be this way....

[malaise]

7. Valid point but would we

accept a bus or taxi company losing our property and not compensating us fully. Would we accept a bus company imprisoning us for ten hours. There is no fugging exccuse for this madness or the reasons why people just allow it to continue.

[AValdoux]

8. What would happen...

...if you demanded to be let off? The incoming planes held for 10 hours horrified me. If I had a major physically debilitating panic attack, being claustrophobic, what would they do? Being trapped in a small place for that amount of time is terrifying to me. Would I be restrained in the plane on the tarmac? Would they escort me off the plane? Would charges be pressed against me?


AValdoux

[dogday]

9. I sat for over 2 hours in a plane waiting to be de-iced

and I thought I was going to go nuts confined to one seat, no getting up, it drove me nuts knowing I have several hours more to travel on that plane....

[Hell Hath No Fury]

10. I fly only on Xanax...

I have panic disporder with agoraphobia, and the thought of 10 hours on the tarmac sends me into a tiny nervous breakdown. I have already decided that, should I ever be faced with that situation, I would fake heart attack symptoms or a seizure and get that plane back to a gate, pronto! :D The airline might get pissed, but I suspect the passengers would be very grateful.