Jul 28, 2008 6:51 pm US/Eastern
AGAIN! Delta Passengers Trapped For 7 Hours
Routine Flight To Las Vegas Is Anything But As Plane Taxis And Then Sits On Tarmac At Kennedy International
No Food Offered; Only Water And Warm Sprite
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
It's not supposed to happen like this.
Delta Air Lines passengers spent nearly seven hours trapped on the tarmac at Kennedy International Airport on Sunday.
And after all that, their plane to Las Vegas never got off the ground. CBS 2 HD spoke to several passengers about their ordeal.
"It was very bad. It was very bad," Alice Armao said.
So claimed Armao and Patricia Johnson, both of Putnam Valley, after their dream trip to Vegas turned into a nightmare trip to nowhere. There they were Sunday, sitting on the tarmac they say for seven hours.
"We just sat there for hours and hours and hours," Armao said.
They say they boarded their flight at JFK at around 10:30 a.m., but stormy weather across the tri-state area kept the plane grounded as it waited to be cleared for take-off.
It never happened.
"We taxied out and 15 minutes later they shut the engines down ... and there we sat," Johnson said.
They said by 5:30 p.m. – some six hours later, after being offered no food from the crew, the passengers were told the flight was cancelled.
"We got offered half a cup of water each ... And some warm Sprite. No food at all," Armao said.
But even then Johnson and Armao said they couldn't get off the plane for another hour.
"They have to get one of those people movers up to us and they're backed up," Armao said. "They're backed up for hours he said. It could take hours."
Delta issued a statement.
"Due to the weather, there was a six-hour ground delay in effect at JFK. Passengers were provided with water and bathrooms."
Delta disputes the time frame, claiming that passengers only spent five hours onboard the plane.
Regardless, Delta passengers CBS 2 HD spoke with at JFK on Monday said they were appalled.
"If it was me ... I'd be real mad," one person said.
"It's not good. It's a failure on the airlines," added another.
On Monday afternoon, Johnson and Armao boarded another flight to Vegas, arranged and paid for by Delta, this time from Westchester County Airport.
The women said they were willing to gamble their luck would be better the second time around.
Delta has offered passengers on the ill-fated Vegas flight refunds or other travel arrangements.
Delta passengers CBS 2 HD spoke with at JFK on Monday said they were appalled. "If it was me ... I'd be real mad," one person said. "It's not good. It's a failure on the airlines," added another. On Monday afternoon, Johnson and Armao boarded another flight to Vegas, arranged and paid for by Delta, this time from Westchester County Airport. The women said they were willing to gamble their luck would be better the second time around. Delta has offered passengers on the ill-fated Vegas flight refunds or other travel arrangements.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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