U.S. Airlines soon will be required to allow passengers to get off of domestic flights that have been sitting on the tarmac for 3 hours, provided doing so doesn't jeopardize their safety and security or disrupt Airport operations. The price for ignoring this rule is steep: airlines face a maximum fine of $27,500 per passenger, said a spokesman for the Transportation Department. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the new rule today, saying it was triggered by a series of nightmarish incidents for passengers, most recently a foul-up in August that left 47 people stranded overnight in a small regional jet in Rochester, Minnestoa. "Airline passengers have rights, and these new rules will require Airlines to live up to their obligation to treat their customers fairly," LaHood said in a statement. The new rule is tougher than many in the aviation industry expected, and represents a significant victory for passenger-rights advocates. Carriers will be required to provide passengers with food, such as pretzels or granola bars, as well as potable water within the 1st 2 hours a plane is delayed. They must also maintain working lavatories. They also are barred from scheduling chronically delayed flights, and required to provide passengers with information on the flight's on-time record. The final rule, which takes effect in 120 days, provides a victory to passenger-rights advocates who had lobbied Congress and the Bush and Obama Administrations to give some recourse to passengers who are stuck for hours on aircraft.
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