Fuel-Off
11th Apr 2009, 11:16
Saw this article today and thought I might share to ask for opinions.
From the Land of the Free and the high priced lawyer...
Trapped on a Plane? Court Says Deal With It
Passengers Rights Groups Upset Over Dismissed Lawsuit Following 9 1/2 Hour Delay
By ALEXANDRA MARKS
April 11, 2009
A court has thrown out a lawsuit brought against American Airlines by a woman who was stranded for 9-1/2 hours on the tarmac (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/story?id=4520926&page=1)in Austin, Texas, in 2006.
In dismissing the case, US District Judge Robert Dawson said airlines are not legally bound to provide a "stress-free environment" (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7134153&page=1) when such a delay occurs.
But Catherine Ray, who brought the lawsuit that charged false imprisonment, isn't giving up the fight. She's filing a motion for the judge to reconsider the case, and if that fails, she plans to appeal.
"It's just unjust -- the thought that an airline can do that to a person and get away with it," says the Fayetteville, Ark., woman.
Weather delays were behind the 2006 incident, and a number of other planes were stranded for eight hours or more. Two other lawsuits stemming from those delays are pending -- one in California and one in Alabama.
In part because of the 2006 strandings, consumer groups have been pushing for federal legislation that outlines passengers' rights during lengthy tarmac delays. The dismissal of Ms. Ray's lawsuit makes it even more important for Congress to act, the consumer groups say.
"The bottom line is that if passengers can't get relief (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/story?id=5510621&page=1)from the courts, we have to have Congress step in," says Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org. She brought the lawsuit that is pending in California.
In part because of the 2006 strandings, consumer groups have been pushing for federal legislation that outlines passengers' rights during lengthy tarmac delays. The dismissal of Ms. Ray's lawsuit makes it even more important for Congress to act, the consumer groups say.
"The bottom line is that if passengers can't get relief (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/story?id=5510621&page=1)from the courts, we have to have Congress step in," says Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org. She brought the lawsuit that is pending in California.
One of the bills pending in Congress would require airlines to let passengers off the plane after a three-hour tarmac delay. But the airlines and some airline analysts say such a requirement could cause even more passenger inconvenience (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AroundTheWorld/story?id=7244152&page=1) by increasing the number of cancellations and creating even longer delays. That's because once a plane goes back to the gate, it loses its place in the line for takeoffs.
Ms. Hanni and others believe this can be remedied if the airlines provide buses to passengers stranded on the tarmac. That way, they could get off without the aircraft losing its place in line.
"We're working with Congress on a compromise," she says.
ABC News America
This comes off the back a bill defending passengers' right was defeated after thousands of passengers were stranded aboard airplanes for up to 10 hours on several JetBlue Airways flights at Kennedy International Airport on Valentine's Day last year. They complained they were deprived of food and water and that toilets overflowed. A month later, hundreds more passengers of other airlines were stranded aboard planes at JFK after a daylong ice storm.
JetBlue is a budget airline after all, I'm sure something would've been done by the girls with the limited catering they had.
Any thoughts?
Fuel-Off...
From the Land of the Free and the high priced lawyer...
Trapped on a Plane? Court Says Deal With It
Passengers Rights Groups Upset Over Dismissed Lawsuit Following 9 1/2 Hour Delay
By ALEXANDRA MARKS
April 11, 2009
A court has thrown out a lawsuit brought against American Airlines by a woman who was stranded for 9-1/2 hours on the tarmac (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/story?id=4520926&page=1)in Austin, Texas, in 2006.
In dismissing the case, US District Judge Robert Dawson said airlines are not legally bound to provide a "stress-free environment" (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7134153&page=1) when such a delay occurs.
But Catherine Ray, who brought the lawsuit that charged false imprisonment, isn't giving up the fight. She's filing a motion for the judge to reconsider the case, and if that fails, she plans to appeal.
"It's just unjust -- the thought that an airline can do that to a person and get away with it," says the Fayetteville, Ark., woman.
Weather delays were behind the 2006 incident, and a number of other planes were stranded for eight hours or more. Two other lawsuits stemming from those delays are pending -- one in California and one in Alabama.
In part because of the 2006 strandings, consumer groups have been pushing for federal legislation that outlines passengers' rights during lengthy tarmac delays. The dismissal of Ms. Ray's lawsuit makes it even more important for Congress to act, the consumer groups say.
"The bottom line is that if passengers can't get relief (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/story?id=5510621&page=1)from the courts, we have to have Congress step in," says Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org. She brought the lawsuit that is pending in California.
In part because of the 2006 strandings, consumer groups have been pushing for federal legislation that outlines passengers' rights during lengthy tarmac delays. The dismissal of Ms. Ray's lawsuit makes it even more important for Congress to act, the consumer groups say.
"The bottom line is that if passengers can't get relief (http://abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/story?id=5510621&page=1)from the courts, we have to have Congress step in," says Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org. She brought the lawsuit that is pending in California.
One of the bills pending in Congress would require airlines to let passengers off the plane after a three-hour tarmac delay. But the airlines and some airline analysts say such a requirement could cause even more passenger inconvenience (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AroundTheWorld/story?id=7244152&page=1) by increasing the number of cancellations and creating even longer delays. That's because once a plane goes back to the gate, it loses its place in the line for takeoffs.
Ms. Hanni and others believe this can be remedied if the airlines provide buses to passengers stranded on the tarmac. That way, they could get off without the aircraft losing its place in line.
"We're working with Congress on a compromise," she says.
ABC News America
This comes off the back a bill defending passengers' right was defeated after thousands of passengers were stranded aboard airplanes for up to 10 hours on several JetBlue Airways flights at Kennedy International Airport on Valentine's Day last year. They complained they were deprived of food and water and that toilets overflowed. A month later, hundreds more passengers of other airlines were stranded aboard planes at JFK after a daylong ice storm.
JetBlue is a budget airline after all, I'm sure something would've been done by the girls with the limited catering they had.
Any thoughts?
Fuel-Off...