http://wjz.com/topstories/topstories_story_046063757.html

 

JetBlue Passengers Describe Airport Tarmac Ordeal

Planes Were Grounded For 10 Hours Or More At JFK International

CBS News Interactive: U.S. Airport Tracker

(CBS) QUEENS, N.Y. Jet Blue Airlines apologized late Wednesday to dozens of passengers who were kept sitting on planes at New York's JFK International Airport for 10 hours or more without ever taking off, reports Andrew Kirtzman of WCBS-TV, the CBS affiliate in New York.

 

The airline said half of its 550 flights were cancelled because of a winter storm that also caused massive traffic and transit delays throughout the Tri-State area.

 

Ten JetBlue flights, however, were loaded with passengers on board. Some made it to the runways only to run into icing problems that kept them grounded. Some of the planes at the gate became frozen to the ground and passengers weren't able to disembark.

 

One couple told WCBS-TV they thought they were about to honeymoon in Aruba. Others said were dreaming of the sun and warm waters of Cancun. Instead, many described they felt like hostages being held on the tarmac.

 

"We had very limited toilet usage while we were on the plane," said Elizabeth Regale, who logged 10 hours of what she described as hell on a trip to nowhere.

 

"To sit on a plane for that long to be pulled into a gate for nine hours was horrible," said another passenger.

 

Early Thursday morning, the airline's Web site warned that other "flights to and from New York City (JFK, LaGuardia, Stewart and Newark, NJ), Boston, Washington D.C. and Upstate New York (Rochester and Buffalo) may be delayed or canceled." It urged passengers to check the status of their flight before heading to their local airports.

 

JetBlue's apology said anyone stuck on one of its flights for more than three hours Wednesday would receive a full refund and a free roundtrip ticket for a future flight.

"JetBlue's apology said anyone stuck on one of its flights for more than three hours Wednesday would receive a full refund and a free roundtrip ticket for a future flight."

 

 

This makes it sounds like being stuck for 3 hours is acceptable.

Yeah they have shuttle busses or whatever, really if the delay is going to be over an hour they should get those people back into the airport. Its totally unacceptable being stuck in a plane that isnt moving for that long.

True, but once the plane leaves the gate, the airport has to give them permission to return to gate and/or get them off the plane outside of the gate... and if the airport thought there was a chance to get them off the ground, they'll keep them in the plane.

 

BTW, JFK has some massive runway construction issues going on right now and almost every flight has nearly an hour cushion built in for taxi time at the airport. It's that crowded.

Hey, atleast it was Jet Blue and they could watch TV, so what are they whinning about.

Is it true that the 'on time departure' record for airlines is based on when all the passengers are on board, not when the plane actually takes off? Often times they know well in advance that the plane will not take off on time, but they still make all the passengers board so that it doesn't hurt their record.

Is it true that the 'on time departure' record for airlines is based on when all the passengers are on board, not when the plane actually takes off? Often times they know well in advance that the plane will not take off on time, but they still make all the passengers board so that it doesn't hurt their record.

 

I think it's when they close the doors to the plane. But I could be wrong.

Their current advertising campaign could be We're Putting the Blue in Jet Blue™

 

They can use it if they like

I am flying JetBlue in a week and a half -eek!

I am flying JetBlue in a week and a half -eek!

 

On the bright side, I'll bet they go out of their way to avoid this kind of PR for a while now.

Every few months it seems one of these cases comes along, and no one ever does anything about it to change policy. There has been an airline passengers' bill of rights hanging around as an idea for a while, but the airline industry lobbyists have enough money to prevent it from passing. Eventually one of these messes will be enough to accomplish that.

On time means when they push back from the gate.

 

I love how JFK airport is trying to push this back on Jet Blue. "If we'd known that planes were stuck on the tarmac, we'd send buses." So Traffic Control at JFK doesn't know what's on the taxiways?

dam, thats crazy

Well to top that off, the 1st time I flew back from Los Angeles to Melbourne (bout a 15 hour flight IIRC), we got diverted to Sydney and I was stuck on the plane from 8a.m to 1p.m, so that would mean I was on the plane for about 20 hours, which was not a great experience at all.

Update from an IT point of view. Jet Blue it from a tech stand point as well. No way to track employees and luggage effectively.

 

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=4523&tag=nl.e589