A Fire Marshall would never allow this.

 

We fly because we have to, not because we want to. The comforts that airlines historically provided to make the experience as tolerable as possible have long been whittled down to just the basics. Security scrutiny, charges for bags, nasty customer service and pay-as-you-go nibbles are just a few of the lost luxuries we once enjoyed in our quest to journey the earth. There has even been word on the street–I mean, in the air–about an airline or two wanting to charge for use of the toilet. (Gotta love Southwest Airline’s take on this–remember their commercial for paying a quarter to relcine your seat, or a dollar to lower the blind?).

Well, like it or not sometimes we just have to get from Point A to Point B regardless of the hassel and abuse. We usually cross our fingers and hope that nothing like a rainstorm or mechanical issue interrupts the uninterruptable flow of the friendly skies, lest the frustrations of inconvenience that the airlines seem to love to impose, get the best of you.

 

Herein lies the needs for some Q & A. You’re tired, hungry, there’s a cranky baby in the seat behind you… and now, your plane has been diverted to weather issues in your city of destination. All you want to do is get off the plane when it lands . You’ve heard stories of late (and in the past) of planes being staged on the tarmac for hours, but not allowing passengers to get off regardless. Why does this happen?

Recently a six-hour delay with 47 people aboard a small Continental Express plane at a Minnesota airport brought this issue to the forfront yet again after it became a public issue up the ranks–even to Congress–a few years ago. A legal Passenger Bill of Rights stalled in the process (although JetBlue Airlines took the initiative to create one of their own, G-d bless them!) and the deal never passed.

Information is the best ammunition in such situations. Experts advise that passengers be prepared. Here are answers to some questions travelers may ask:

Q. Can’t I just get off the plane? No. The captain has ultimate control of the plane and generally will determine if and when to return to the gate and allow passengers to get off. “It’s not a democracy,” says Robert Mann, an airline industry consultant. Passengers can request that the aircraft return to the gate, or if they have a cell phone they can call airline customer service or their carrier’s frequent flier hotline and exert pressure that way. If you have a medical condition or are ill, notify the crew immediately. But taking matters into your own hands is ill-advised-unruly passengers who make a run for the aircraft door could be arrested.
Q. Why would the airline choose to keep the passengers onboard rather than let them get off? It takes a lot of time to get passengers off a plane and then back on again. If the weather clears up at the airport where you are heading, the crew may have a limited opportunity to take off. Tarmac delays often occur because of bad weather, congestion and air traffic control issues. Further delays could be caused by allowing passengers to get off, which also could mean passengers with connecting flights might miss those connections.
Airline operations also are a factor. Because of weak demand for air travel due to the ailing economy, airlines have taken large chunks of seats out of the air and are offering fewer flights and frequencies to some destinations.
Q. How long can the crew keep me on the plane before heading back to the gate? There’s no law or rule mandating that the crew allow you to get off after a certain period. Legislation introduced in the Senate in July would require planes delayed more than three hours to return to a gate. A rule proposed by the Department of Transportation would require airlines to have contingency plans for dealing with lengthy tarmac delays. Some airlines such as JetBlue have implemented customer commitments in recent years to try to appease passengers.

Q. Will I get something to eat and drink while I wait? Airlines generally only stock enough food and drinks for the length of the flight. Passengers on the Continental Express flight complained about not being offered food and drink during their lengthy tarmac delay. After a recent AirTran Airways flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta was diverted to Chattanooga, Tenn., flight attendants offered bottled water and pretzels to passengers during the 90-minute tarmac delay. (I once had a Delta flight diverted to an alternate city due to weather and our Captain literally ordered pizzas to be delivered to the plane…on the tarmac! Strange but True! Points for Delta!) Experts advise that passengers should carry food and drink with them on flights in case of a delay while onboard.

Q. What kind of compensation am I entitled to if I experience a tarmac delay? Typically, circumstances beyond the control of an airline are not covered in terms of passengers being provided compensation. However, airlines have discretion to help passengers out, and some even have policies for allowing for compensation when there are tarmac delays. For instance, JetBlue customers who experience an onboard ground delay on arrival for two hours or more after scheduled arrival time are entitled to a voucher. (More points for JetBlue: On a recent flight the inflight satellite television was out of wack. No big deal…but a week later I received an apology along with a $25 coupon to use towards a future flight. There is customer service still alive in the airline industry!)