This is a classic case of shooting the messenger. The decision to transport the pax by road is not a captains decision but the commercial departments. I can bet all I am worth that the flight crew were not consulted before this decision was made. The captain either took it upon herself or was requested by the ground staff to make this announcement assuming that the pax would accept that decision based on her perceived authority.
Unfortunately, as seen in this case and numerous cases where I as well as my colleagues have been thrust into such situations, the pax really don't care about who has made this decision. As far as they are concerned, the cabin and flight crew represent the company at that moment and are directly responsible for their well being and assurance that they will reach their destination in the mode of travel they paid for. Anyone who has worked in a loco in India knows this is farthest from the truth.
I personally have been threatened with physical assault due to the inability of my airline to resolve fdtl, technical,commercial etc issues concerning the flight operations of their own airline. What is most disconcerting is the lack of information that is passed on to the crew concerning situations such as this. The crew are left on their own to handle justifiably irate pax with no authority to decide further course of action.
Retarded comments like 'action will be taken' reek of babudom language and only drag the whole industry down into the filth that is burdensome bureaucracy. I empathize with both the pax and the crew in this situation and lay the blame squarely on the whole process of handling such situations of weather/technical/commercial delays which are beyond the control of the flight crew.
I am sure the captain knows how to use the cut and paste mode on her PC and can do a marvelous job of doing that with the myriad of rules and regs which we all have to deal with at some point in our careers. But to preach regs on this forum without realising the pressure and helplessness the crew is subjected to in a high stress situation at the end of a very long duty day is facetious at best.
Last edited by av8r76; 24th Oct 2012 at 20:03.