If severe turbulence . . .
Seems like a lot of knowledgeable folks on this thread have been looking at met and satellite reports and concluding the weather was really ugly in the vicinity of the incident. Was this known to the airline/pilots ahead of time?
Sorry, I'm just a dumb non-pilot/non-technician here, but given the known risks of flying thru thunderstorms/lightning/severe turbulence, shouldn't airlines be required to make more effort to fly around/above such areas? Sure, it may lead to higher fuel costs and departure/arrival delays, but why take the risk? As a frequent traveller with a few scary flight experiences already, I prefer to avoid even moderate turbulence yet as a pax there is simply no way for me to get any info on this prior to boarding. Most flights are fine but some clearly are not.
I may be wrong, but I am left with the feeling that airlines are under such economic pressure that they are on the margin sometimes pushing flights thru questionable weather just to manage costs . . . is this an area where FAA/international bodies could lay out better guidelines and requirements?