Stuck on the Runway? A Guide to Airline Survival.

Posted on March 25, 2008
Filed Under Journalism, News, commentary |

Today was a very bad day for anyone who travels by air in this country, which is just about everyone. A New York federal appeals court clipped the wings of a first in the nation state law that actually gave airline passengers certain rights; something the airlines refuse to do.

747-grounded.jpgThe 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a New York state law that mandated that airlines give passengers food, water, toilet facilities and fresh air when stuck in a delayed aircraft sitting on the ground. The court said the law interferes with federal law, which, says the A.P., governs, “the price, route or service of an air carrier.”

Horrors stories have mounted in recent years of airliners sitting for hours on end waiting for takeoff or even a place to unload passengers during a protracted delay. The Air Transport Association of American which represents airlines challenged the New York law.

Take matters into your own hands: 8 Tips to Surviving An Airline Kidnapping

Passengers are powerless against the airlines. In fact, there are several things passengers stuck on planes under grim conditions can do to make life for the airline as difficult as it is making life for the passenger:

  1. stuck-jetblue.jpgPass around a paper to be signed by other passengers and demand that flight attendants bring it to the pilots in the cockpit–the paper should demand that passengers either be released from the plane or plenty of food, water and fresh air be supplied. This puts the airline on notice of the desires of the passengers and could be helpful, no doubt, in passenger litigation against the airline.
  2. Use your cell phone–and make sure flight attendants are aware of what you are doing so they will inform the cockpit crew–to call a local television or radio news operation in the city you happen to be in. Make sure your conversation can be heard by others. Ask for the “news assignment desk” or , if a newspaper, the “metro desk” and explain that you are trapped on board an airliner in their city and are, in effect, being held hostage against your will along with other passengers. If you have a camera on your phone, try to email the news organization as many pictures as possible showing conditions inside the aircraft.
  3. If you or a family member feel ill, use your cell phone on the ground to call 911 and tell the operator your location and what the medical condition is and insist that an ambulance be sent to the scene. This now puts the city or county on notice and may also prove useful in future litigation, should an attorney recommend that.
  4. Make flight attendants answer as many of the following questions as possible and try to make an audio recording if you can of their answers:
    1. How much food is on board this flight?
    2. How much water?
    3. Will food be brought on board and when?
    4. Can the pilots keep the AC running for fresh air? If not, why not?
    5. How many passengers are currently on board?
    6. What do they have in their medical kit for emergencies?
    7. Who is the cockpit crew communicating with about the problem and demand that the crew give passengers updates often on the situation.
  5. Use your cell–and, if you are able to on some planes that soon will have WI-Fi-send an email to the corporate offices of the airline involved. Tell them they have an enormous public relations disaster on their hands.
  6. Document everything–record the names of ALL flight attendants and their answers to your questions.
  7. Keep track of exact times–when the AC went off or on; how often and when was water passed to passengers; when did the cockpit crew update passengers.
  8. Use your cell or email to reach out to a local congressperson’s office–you can usually get this info from one of the newsrooms you should have already called by now.

You get the idea. Don’t be overtly hostile because airline crews are currently abusing anti-terrorism legislation to scare unruly passengers into submission with the threat of arrest.

But, be firm and remember that you did not agree to give up your Constitutional rights just because you purchased an airline ticket.

Comments

3 Responses to “Stuck on the Runway? A Guide to Airline Survival.”

  1. Dave on March 25th, 2008 10:58 pm

    Can someone get in trouble for doing any of these tips?

  2. charles on March 25th, 2008 11:04 pm

    Trouble for what? Making a phone call to a news agency telling the truth of your situation?
    Or, calling 911 for an ambulance should you or a family member take ill? Having passengers sign a letter of complaint to give the pilot who is the on board rep of the airline?
    You think any jury would convict you of anything?
    The airlines have their customers running scared;they like it when everyone is a sheep.

  3. Mike F. on March 25th, 2008 11:28 pm

    Wow! Nice list. The lady who died on that flight because of a broken defibrillator should have had people do #3 for her. These are things we’d never think of normally. Thanks

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