The Consumer Travel Alliance polled almost 100,000 readers of various travel newsletters over the past week concerning consumers’ opinions about tarmac delays. The fact that 87.2 percent of the respondents felt Congress should pass a rule mandating three or four hours as the maximum time a plane is kept waiting on the runway after leaving the gate was no surprise. But the fact that 50 percent of those passengers only want to go back to the gate if they can still get to their destination that day was a little unexpected.
Here is a summary of the poll:
• Almost 90 percent want a law limiting tarmac delays.
• 50 percent only want the law if it doesn’t delay them for a day.
• 69 percent want food and water from airlines during tarmac delays.
• 42 percent want their luggage back if they get off the plane after a tarmac delay.
• 51 percent feel the airlines should pay for overnight and meal costs if flights are canceled after a tarmac-delay even when it is an “Act of God.”
We want tarmac-delay rules. But we don’t want to be inconvenienced but the rules. In other words, we want to have our cake and eat it, too.
It seems that having Congress pass a turn-around rule will end up only making half of the flying public happy.
Basically, passengers want a chance to get off the plane and stretch our legs and grab a bite to eat and then be back on our way. (That shouldn’t be so hard.)
(Photo: Vancouver Airports)
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I don’t understand the willingness to put up with even a three hour delay. I go crazy after one hour!
The “have their cake and eat it too” is a little snotty. Why shouldn’t we expect to be treated like human beings and STILL be taken to the place we’ve paid money to fly to? Why is this an either/or thing? If they can make you sit on the tarmac for six hours and get you to your destination that day they can CERTAINLY return you to the gate after an hour, load you on the plane in another four hours and still get there. It’s not rocket science, it’s called customer service.
I’m telling you as sure as God made green apples you get the government involved in regulating tarmac delays and you’ll create a problem that will make the current ones look like a walk in the park.
It’s no wonder the way the questions were worded that the responses came in that way. Also, if they polled 100,000 readers, 289 replies is a very low sampling rate – less than 1/3 of 1%. The results are probably statistically irrelevent.
Interesting results. Not surprising, as people ALWAYS want to have their cake and eat it too. Don’t raise taxes, but don’t close the government offices one day a week to make up for it! And where’s my free government coffee in the morning! What?! You’re going to tax me to pay for it! AAAAAAA! :P
Personally, if I’m going to be delayed 6 hours, I’d rather spend those six hours in a comfortable hotel room of my choosing (even if I have to pay for it), rather than in an economy class seat with only enough personal space to inhale half a breath.
It would have been interesting to ask at which END of the trip the delay was occuring. For instance, if the delay was on your way TO vacation in Hawaii, you might prefer the delay. If the vacation was on the way HOME… “Hey, boss! Guess what! The airlines cancelled my flight, and I can’t get out of here for three days. Sorry…. I’ll be back when I can!”