Aug 10, 2009 7:00 pm US/Central
Travel Expert: Tarmac Wait, Apology Unacceptable
(WCCO)
-
-
Passengers waited on the tarmac for 6 hours with no food, over-used toilets and crying babies. (File)
Jupiter Images
Continental Airlines is apologizing to the 47 passengers who were trapped on a flight from Houston to the Twin Cities on Friday night. The flight was diverted to Rochester, Minn. due to severe thunderstorms.
Passengers waited on the tarmac for 6 hours with no food, over-used toilets and crying babies.
"The plane was just a nightmare for the whole night," said Link Cristin.
He was appalled at the way he and his fellow passengers were treated by Continental the night they were stranded on the Rochester tarmac.
"I was just outraged that they didn't make whatever kind of the effort was required to make sure people could get off that little, tiny airplane and not be stuck there," said Cristin.
A Continental ExpressJet spokesperson said first, the flight crew reached their maximum hours and another had to be brought in. Then, the alternative of chartering a bus didn't work out.
"What they're trying to tell us is in the whole Upper Midwest, there wasn't a bus?" said airline travel expert Terry Trippler.
Then the Rochester terminal apparently didn't have the security to let the passengers in. Airport officials said on Monday said they could have gone into the secured area.
"It was totally unacceptable that this happened. Continental handled it the worst possible way they could by ignoring the people on the plane," said Trippler.
In a statement, Continental agreed it was unacceptable and apologized.
"I hate to be harsh but no you're not sorry because if you were, this wouldn't have happened in the first place," Trippler.
"I do think it's their fault and I think all 47 passengers need to be compensated in a way that compensates them fairly for that 6 or 8 or 10 hours of horrible discomfort," said Cristin.
Continental is offering those passengers refunds and vouchers. Trippler said that's not enough.
"How dare you do that to people," he said.
Federal Passenger's Bill of Rights legislation is scheduled to be voted on in the Senate next month. It would require passengers stuck on a plane have adequate food, water and terminal access.
They would also have the right to get off the plane after 3 hours. Airlines argue it would be too costly.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
