The extraordinary weather in the eastern half of the USA last week that ground airline traffic to a halt has renewed demands for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights.
When the weather turns horrific, as it did last week when a massive ice storm wrecked the transportation plans of millions of people, normal airplane travel turns into adventure travel.
An adventure in patience and frustration, for both airline personnel and the travelers they are trying to get to ticketed destinations.
Thousands of travelers turned into that Tom Hanks character in the movie The Terminal, who was living at the airport because he wasn't allowed to get to his destination, or go home.
Some passengers were kept -- literally -- captive on the runway for nine hours, because their planes would not return to the terminal and let them stretch their legs. Others spent as long waiting for their luggage.
It's all renewed demands for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights. This is not new. The Clinton/Gore administration proposed just the same thing in 1999, but Congresss did act. Maybe this time.
Jet Blue has initiated its own version of a customer bill of rights, in reaction to its system-wide meltdown in the ice storm. But what about the rest of the airlines?
You can help by adding your name to a petition organized by the Coalition for the Passengers Bill of Rights.
