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Saturday, May 31, 2008
FlyersRights.com Did you know that as an airline passenger, you have fewer rights than a prisoner of war, according to the Geneva Convention?
For instance, if the plane sits on the runway for hours, you have no right to go to the bathroom, get a glass of water (or other drink), stretch your legs, or get off the plane (they can basically detain you indefinitely). It really sucks, and I have been stuck in such a situation several times.
And I am not the only one who noticed this. Check out www.FlyersRights.com. This is an organization who tries to battle this problem. They have even appeared before congress a number of times. Here is how they describe themselves:
The Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights was formed by hundreds of passengers who were stranded on several American Airlines planes for up to 9 hours at Austin International Airport on December 29, 2006. During that period we were denied food, water or access to working bathroom facilities. Ignoring our pleas, the airline refused to allow passengers to deplane despite medical emergencies, and other health and safety issues. As a result of this ordeal, we discovered that there were thousands of other passengers who share similar experiences and together we decided to turn our anger and frustration into action. We are the fastest growing coalition of airline passengers, with over 21,000 members onboard. Since forming, our coalition has made numerous visits to Congress and there are several passengers' rights provisions pending in the form of legislation and Department of Transportation regulation.
Also, check out their proposed Bill of Rights for passengers. Sounds all reasonable to me. Amazing really, that things like "allow passengers access to needed medical attention" are not yet covered in any way. It really goes to show how the airline industry lives in a world of their own, and the lack of choice (you can choose a different airline, but get the same crap) can lead to monopoly-like customer experiences.
You can sign a petition on that page as well, if you want...
Posted @ 1:15 PM by Egger, Markus (markus@code-magazine.com)
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