Aircomplane.com™

Will the "Passenger Bill of Rights" Prevent the Illegal Imprisonment of Airline Passengers?

Your Aircomplane.com Spite Attendants are not linguists or lawyers. Our grasp of the English language was established by formal education and is maintained by feeding the engine (reading and research), natural curiosity, and as a vocational imperative since entering the communications field (blog publishing). That said, let's explore what really happens when airlines find themselves with a plane loads of "passengers" and due to less-than-optimal flying conditions, refuse to let them go.

As passengers, at what point do we no longer tolerate the airlines' unfettered interpretation of  "security" and scheduling issues with re-clearing passengers.

In case you missed it:

• Just this past weekend, passengers were held on a Royal Air Maroc plane for almost 14 hours at Kennedy Airport between Saturday night and Sunday.
• On a Virgin Atlantic London flight, passengers were kept on a plane at Kennedy Airport from 9:45 p.m. Friday until 4 a.m. Saturday. The flight was finally canceled.
• Passenger Rahul Chandran said he and others were held aboard a Cathay Pacific Airways jet to Vancouver from midnight until after 9:00 a.m. The flight was finally canceled.
• In February, JetBlue Airlines stranded passengers on several planes for over 10 hours during a storm. The airline blamed their inability to deice the planes.
• January: American Airlines subjected passengers to overflowing toilets and pretzels (only) during a nine hour ordeal in Austin. The flight, if it had happened, should have taken three and one-half hours.

If you're not furious yet, know that this list goes on. What other industry in the United States would be allowed to perpetrate such an offense? Yes, we are in complicated times with respect to security, but when did the terrorists abscond with our common sense?

It is simple. If the previously cleared passengers are held on a plane more than two hours without taking off, they are being wrongly imprisoned. If you don't believe us, ask them.

OUR NEXT POST: The Passengers' Bill of Rights.

British Airways Passenger Forced to Fly Next to Corpse -- States He Was Told to "Get over it."

The Sunday Times (UK) reported yesterday that a first class passenger on one of its flights from Delhi to Heathrow was forced to sit next to a corpse for more than five hours. The deceased passenger died in mid flight, and the report indicates that  the British Airways flight staff thought this was the best solution. The first class passenger was Paul Trinder, a "Gold Card" member of BA who flew 200,000 miles a year with British Airways.

According to The Sunday Times, "When contacted by BA about the complaint, Trinder says he was told he would not be compensated and should 'get over' the incident."

First, and with all due respect to the unfortunate and departed passenger, Mr. Tinder's main concerns were the health issues related to a decomposing body in a warm environment for over five hours. (The Times goes on to note that "Other carriers use different procedures. Singapore Airlines has introduced 'corpse cupboards' on its Airbus 340-500 aircraft.")

Now, there is nothing easy or pleasant about this situation, but one would think that an airline claiming to have roots back to 1919 (according to its website) would at the very least:

1. Know what to do with a dead body;
2. Demonstrate that they are aware of the health concerns related to said dead body; and
3. Not tell a "Gold Card" passenger who flew 200,000 miles a year to "get over it."

We also realize that there are two sides to every story. As always, the airline is welcome to share theirs here. We will give anything they have to say top billing  -- unless it gets delayed, we post the announcement and they don't hear it, or we cancel the promise altogether.

You're in the people business, British Airways! If you don't want to be, then ship freight. Just treat your passengers with some dignity and class -- whether they are alive or not.

Flyer Information - Helpful Websites

When your Spite Attendant Crew launched Aircomplane.com, we were determined to make it more than a bitch site. It was important to us to provide actual, helpful information on convincing the airline industry we deserve a better flying experience AND as a voice for those among us who have not been heard.

We realized that as with many relevant blogs, however, we may ultimately not have control over the tone it would take. We’re pleased with the direction it has taken and grateful for your input and support.

We have been monitoring the air travel situation closely, and there is a great deal being discussed about a “Passengers’ Bill of Rights.” We will be discussing that in detail here shortly and bringing you up to speed on where it’s going (or not). In the meantime, we have identified some helpful website resources for you.

Airsafe.com is a helpful site with a section dedicated to “How to Complain About Your Airline Service.” See it here. Some other areas they cover that should make for an easier and more event-free trip are:
Top 10 Baggage Tips
Things you Should Not Bring on Board
Cabin Safety Tips
Power Tips for Using the Internet

A special thanks to contributor Matt for suggesting Gethuman.com. We encourage you to spend some time on this site. It really brings to light some of the basic customer service issues to which we, AS THE ONES SPENDING THE MONEY WITH THEM, are entitled. Make sure you visit the Gethuman.com Core Principles and www.gethuman.com/us. The former should be sent en mass to every airline executive you can locate, and the latter is a list of airline (and other) phone numbers and the quickest way to bypass their voice mail systems. Great job, guys...and their readers (and Matt gets a free t-shirt).

Last word here. Joe Sent Me (www.joesentmen.com) is a helpful, real site for business travelers. Check it out.

More soon.

Remember, it's your money, you are the passenger, and you are entitled to respectable customer service and value for your business. Don't take crap you don't deserve. Complain until they hear us, and let Your Spite Attendants know if we can help (info@aircomplane.com).

 

Aircomplane.com Merchandise

Many of you have asked about Aircomplane.com merchandise (swag) and when it might be available. The good news is we believe we have identified a reliable, quality vendor. The slight delay is in finding out "who's minding the store." But we're closing in.

Yes, flyers (or in many cases, airport fixtures), you will soon be able to proudly display your discontent and determination not to be just part of the herd. Rather, you will be part of "the herd getting heard." Here's our logo and slogan that will be featured on most items:

Aircomplane.com™

“The herd getting heard.”

When the t-shirts, caps, travel bags, and other merchandise is ready, we believe we may be holding a contest of sorts for anyone photographed wearing or holding Aircomplane.com swag at an airport or on a plane. If you prefer, we can protect your identity (and maybe superimpose the head of an airline CEO on you). More soon.

So, check back here or drop us a line at info@aircomplane.com if you want to be notified personally. We're pretty excited.