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Feb 15, 2007 7:42 pm US/Eastern
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Do You Have Rights As An Airline Passenger?
Not Legally, But There Are Ways To Protect Yourself
by Kirstin Cole
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Several airlines received a black eye on Wednesday after stranding hundreds of passengers, some as long as 10 hours, aboard planes on the tarmac.
So is there anything passengers can do once they've been buckled into their seats?
Unfortunately, short of racking up a federal offense for breaking down the door and deploying the evacuation slide, you don't have a lot of recourse.
That's because the airlines, despite repeated horror stories of abandoning passengers, have been allowed to police themselves. And as we all know, that usually means customers are left out in the cold.
On Wednesday it was 10 JetBlue planes full of passengers that were affected, sitting up to 11 hours on hot planes with very little food and not a lot of access to toilets.
Previously, American Airlines stranded passengers on the tarmac in Texas and Northwest left people in the cold during a blizzard in Detroit.
Passengers have pleaded for legislation for a Passenger's Bill of Rights but it's always been quashed, meaning you have got to fend for yourself.
Here's what you can do. First, complain, in writing, to a specific person, like the president. Ask for specific compensation, say 150 percent of your ticket value in vouchers. Forget cash. Include reservation numbers, dates, place of travel, etc., so it's easy for them to verify your flight info.
And if you're a member of their airline club, include the info, and how long you've been a valued frequent flier.
And those JetBlue passengers? Anyone stuck on one of its flights for more than three hours Wednesday would receive a full refund and a free roundtrip ticket for a future flight.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)