I’m a “million-miler” and longtime Chairman’s Preferred member with US AIRWAYS, and I fly at least 120 segments a year (sometimes more). I also pretty regularly fly most of the other majors and Jet Blue.

Perhaps I have a biased point of view, but I still prefer flying with US Air crews over any of the other majors. I do like Jet Blue as well.

I have no problem with US AIRWAYS customer service either, but I admit that here my status does make a big difference. It’s always better to talk with someone empowerd to help, and for whom English is a first language.

As far as taking the train goes, I couldn’t agree more. Between Boston, New York, Philadelphia and the Baltimore/Washington area, The Acela (or even the Metroliner) is less expensive, much more comfortable, and usually faster. Plus (assuming the outlets are working), I can plug in my notebook and be productive (and connected) pretty much the whole way.

Just my four cents. (Inflation.)

And I’ll add my plus 1 to Bob’s comment. This kind of ground delay happens all the time on the shuttle routes, and I’ve never seen passengers get bent out of shape. It comes with the territory for those of us that do it every week, 30-40 weeks a year. God forbid the government pass some kind of legislation capping a delay at 3 hours. What if I am trying to get home and 3 minutes from take off they have to turn around and go back to the gate because “that’s the law”?

That’s the impression I got when you wrote about Alitalia as well.

However, I never said that I hoped the company would go out of business.

I’ve been in line for hours at BOS (and LGA) trying to take off when weather rolls in, or the folks in ATC are tearing their hair out trying to safely fit far too many planes into too little sky over New York. Sometimes it takes a good long while to get off the ground.

The fact that both of these US Airways flights were on a single day tells me that this was by no means usual circumstances.

Shoud US Airways have cancelled the flights instead of waiting in line? That sure wouldn’t have been my choice! Should they have gone back to the gate to give everyone a “potty break”, taken the better part of an hour to get everyone off (assuming there was a gate available at all), give them a few minutes in the terminal, and then back on the plane? And then end up at the back of an even longer line of aircraft queued up to take off?

No thank you!

Perhaps when aircraft have been waiting for a certain period of time, the FAA can write rules for planes not at the front of the line to just set the parking brakes and give folks a quick chance at the rest rooms, without losing one’s place in line, and without violating regulations regarding having everyone seated and strapped in during taxi. In fact, it is possible that the Captain allowed this anyway. We just don’t know.

The Continental Express debacle was inexcusable. These two, I’m willing to write off as a “bad day in Boston”.