This seems to come up every time there is a big enough weather event to piss off a large enough segment of the traveling population. Last week's winter storm was such an event. Click here to read about it.
As a result, JetBlue has taken the initiative to create a "passenger bill of rights" that will deal with what you can expect as a JetBlue customer if (and when) something like this occurs again. Click here to get the story about the Bill of Rights.
This is not the first time, by a long shot, that customers have been stranded on the tarmac, no food or water in sight, with no clean or sometimes even working toilets available. Conditions that start to approach being locked up in a third-world country jail, all for the exorbitant price of an airline ticket. I know, for being a frequent-flyer (or "frequent" as the airlines call us), I've personally experienced this several times over the past 15 years. My personal worst was being stuck on the runway in Atlanta after they got 3 inches of snow. Doesn't seem like much snow, does it? Well, if you are in Atlanta, with NO SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT, 3 inches is a Hell of a lot! How long was I stuck on a plane with no power, no lights, no heat, no food, no water? Approximately SIX HOURS. Not a lot of fun.
Don't think for one minute that JetBlue is doing this out of the goodness of their heart, or that they really care about Passenger's rights. Here's the real reason. Congress is now paying attention, and is discussing the possibility of legislation that will impose penalties on Airlines for improper behaviour. That is what Airlines like JetBlue are trying to circumvent by such "self-regulation". They hope to show Congress that they don't need to be regulated. I hope they fail, because I don't think these guys can be trusted. This has been going on for way too long.
UPDATE: JetBlue just posted details about their Bill of Rights proposal. Whatever happens, this may spur the industry to behave in a more human manner. Anything would be an improvement.
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