Comments on: Passengers’ bill of rights: Slow but steady progress? http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/ Living the first class life -- at coach prices Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:24:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Oliver http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/#comment-7546 Oliver Wed, 07 Mar 2007 05:28:51 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/#comment-7546 Well, United not only let people sit around on the runway for hours. They also abandoned a few plane loads of people in Cheyenne after diverting two jets to that airport. http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2007-02-19-cheyenne-cover-usat_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA And they did the same thing again in Nebraska: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-02-20-airport-abandoned-usat_x.htm Instead of "Come fly the friendly skies" their new slogan should be something like "Guess where we fly you today..." Well, United not only let people sit around on the runway for hours. They also abandoned a few plane loads of people in Cheyenne after diverting two jets to that airport.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2007-02-19-cheyenne-cover-usat_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA

And they did the same thing again in Nebraska:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-02-20-airport-abandoned-usat_x.htm

Instead of “Come fly the friendly skies” their new slogan should be something like “Guess where we fly you today…”

]]> By: Mark Ashley http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/#comment-7498 Mark Ashley Wed, 07 Mar 2007 02:32:41 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/#comment-7498 Benet: I agree, the industry rallied its troops in 1999, and the "customer service plans" were put into place, in lieu of legal regulation. The airlines are naturally hoping for the same outcome today. We'll see! Global Traveller: Agreed, 2 hours is not the same as 5 hours. Thus my desire to see the breakdown of the numbers. 2 hours is fair game, I'd say. Unpleasant, but fair game. 5 hours isn't. As in so many of these things, the devil is really in the details. Benet: I agree, the industry rallied its troops in 1999, and the “customer service plans” were put into place, in lieu of legal regulation. The airlines are naturally hoping for the same outcome today. We’ll see!

Global Traveller: Agreed, 2 hours is not the same as 5 hours. Thus my desire to see the breakdown of the numbers. 2 hours is fair game, I’d say. Unpleasant, but fair game. 5 hours isn’t.

As in so many of these things, the devil is really in the details.

]]> By: The Global Traveller http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/#comment-7489 The Global Traveller Wed, 07 Mar 2007 02:13:47 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/#comment-7489 I'd expect most of those 2-5 hour delays to be little over 2 hours, with few at the 5 hour end. A 2 hour delay is not something I'd want the airlines penalised strongly over as can only lead to perverse outcomes (eg don't board to avoid the risk of being caught in the taxi queue too long and end up leaving many hours later than necessary) and also higher costs (yup that means fares go up). I’d expect most of those 2-5 hour delays to be little over 2 hours, with few at the 5 hour end.

A 2 hour delay is not something I’d want the airlines penalised strongly over as can only lead to perverse outcomes (eg don’t board to avoid the risk of being caught in the taxi queue too long and end up leaving many hours later than necessary) and also higher costs (yup that means fares go up).

]]> By: Benet Wilson http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/#comment-7004 Benet Wilson Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:04:57 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2007/03/05/passengers-bill-of-rights-slow-but-steady-progress/#comment-7004 Kids, I hate to disappoint you, but I've seen this movie before, back in 1999. Remember when Northwest stranded the passengers on a plane in the middle of a blizzard at Detroit Airport for 8 hours with no food and toilets running over? I remember that Congress was in a tizzy then too, calling hearings and making proclamations about a passenger's bill of rights. So what happened? The Air Transport Association put the lobbying machine into full force and got airlines to commit to a voluntary customer commitment policy instead. And that's what I predict will happen again. Frankly, considering the huge numbers of flights that are flown worldwide daily, this bill is like using a rocket-powered missle launcher to kill an ant. Was it horrible? Yes. No one should be subjected to such conditions. But it was an extraordinary situation that was exacerbated by a freak weather event that the airline had no control over. It will be really interesting to watch what happens with this. Kids, I hate to disappoint you, but I’ve seen this movie before, back in 1999. Remember when Northwest stranded the passengers on a plane in the middle of a blizzard at Detroit Airport for 8 hours with no food and toilets running over? I remember that Congress was in a tizzy then too, calling hearings and making proclamations about a passenger’s bill of rights.

So what happened? The Air Transport Association put the lobbying machine into full force and got airlines to commit to a voluntary customer commitment policy instead. And that’s what I predict will happen again. Frankly, considering the huge numbers of flights that are flown worldwide daily, this bill is like using a rocket-powered missle launcher to kill an ant.

Was it horrible? Yes. No one should be subjected to such conditions. But it was an extraordinary situation that was exacerbated by a freak weather event that the airline had no control over. It will be really interesting to watch what happens with this.

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