Many Flights Canceled, But Zero Stranded On Ramp Thanks To FlyersRights
The relentless snow and ice storms this winter have led to the most flight cancellations in more than 25 years, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. It’s hard to remember now, but being trapped on an icy ramp used to happen many times a year before passengers united to form FlyersRights.
The relentless snow and ice storms this winter have led to the most flight cancellations in more than 25 years, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
It's hard to remember now, but being trapped on an icy ramp used to happen many times a year before passengers united to form FlyersRights. The Valentine's Day fiasco of February 14, 2007 was the breaking point. An ice storm in New York trapped thousands of passengers for up to 11 hours on grounded jets at JFK. Most were operated by JetBlue Airways. People were outraged and fed up. A revolution had begun, fueled by weeks of television coverage, newspaper headlines and congressional hearings. The passenger Bill of Rights spearheaded by FlyersRights caught on fire. That infamous incident along with several similar ones involving passengers trapped onboard aircraft forced DOT to act. In December 2009, DOT instituted the landmark rule, setting a three-hour limit on such ramp delays. Violators would be faced with fines of up to $27,500 per passenger.
So, in one of the greatest victories for the consumer against an industry, this winter has seen no incidents of passengers stranded.
