It's a bitter pill for U.S. airlines, but it's medicine they have to take. Beginning next month, airlines can be fined up to $27,500 per passenger if a plane is delayed three hours and passengers can't get off the plane, according to a new federal rule issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.
Airlines may respond by canceling flights, but the goal of the program is to encourage airlines to do a better job of scheduling flights and crews -- and, by extension, a better job of treating passengers.
Delta Airlines INc. (DAL) and JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) have already asked the U.S. DOT for a temporary exemption from the rule, USAToday.com reported Wednesday.
Sector Analysis: The rule is not a minor change, but it's long overdue. The goal is to limit tarmac delays and encourage airlines to think more-realistically regarding flight schedules.
Further, most certainly the new rule is designed to eliminate the tarmac fiascoes of the past -- in which a passenger boards a plane, and for weather or other non-security reasons, passengers are not allowed to de-plane and you're sitting on the tarmac for the better part of a day. The new rule will hopefully discourage that: fining airlines $1 million or $2 million for a flight should get their attention.
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Disclosure: Lazzaro has frequent flier miles in American Airlines (AMR) and in Air France.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-10-2010 @ 4:38PM
Bill said...
Wish they would have had this in effect back about four years ago when we were stuck on the tarmac for six hours. No water or food. It was a nightmare!
3-11-2010 @ 6:45AM
Dave said...
If anyone doubts it is the traveler who will really be paying these fines in the ticket price, he is in for a surprise. Fining the airline a million bucks certainly will help it focus its attention, but what of the money? Equivalent to a new tax on the public as far as I can tell.
3-11-2010 @ 11:22AM
thedude said...
Dave's right
Airlines will just add yet another "surcharge" onto their pricing
$25 for Flight Delay Compensation - not that the traveler gets compensated Oh No the airling gets compensated in the event they delay your flight and inconvenience the traveler.
Whatever the price is, I am sure that it will be enough to not only pay for any government fines but make a tidy little profit as well.
3-20-2010 @ 3:20PM
Lisa W. said...
Airlines hold passengers hostage because for the hourly wage employees on the plane (flight attendants, etc.) the time clock doesn't start until the plane door is shut! DUH. It's all about earning their wages. I know this because I interviewed for a flight attendant position years ago. Luckily I didn't take it for the sake of my sanity. If the airlines let people off early, airline employees are gonna see a big drop their pay. A lot of people will quit.