All Airlines should be required to list the time at terminal, time to board, time out of gate, time wheels up, time wheels down, time to gate, time to deplane, time out of terminal for ALL flights at all airports on all tickets sold from any source. Missing any one time by 10 minutes entitles each passenger one round trip ticket anywhere that airlines flys for one year without any restrictions.
If they miss any one time by 30 minutes or any combination of times within 30 minutes, each passenger can fly anywhere that airlines flys for free for one full year.
If they miss any time, or combination of times, by one hour, or more, then all passengers on that flight fly for free anywhere that airline flys for life.
Also, Tarmac delays should be limited to one hour and then ONLY if the sircraft… more »
…has hot food (not peanuts) and water on board to feed the passengers while they wait. The toilets must have capacity to cover all ticketed passengers for triple the duration of the flight just to cover ground delays and diversions. While the AC is on hold, the seat belt sign is off, toilets are available, and cabin service serves a full hot meal (breakfast from 4AM to 10 AM, Lunch 10AM to 3PM, Dinner 3PM to 11 PM, lunch from 11PM to 4AM). If the AC is not equipped to provide such services then a maximum tarmac delay of 30 minutes is permitted. The 30 minutes is from door close to door open. Taxi time counts in the delay time.
No AC should be permitted to taxi more than 30 minutes, of this 30 minutes only 10 minutes are permitted to be without moving. Moving is regulated at greater than 5 MPH and not moving is regulated at 5 MPH or less.
Of couse the Airlines and Airports will say that they cannot live with these regulations. My question is why not? It is a simple scheduling issue. At the present time there is NO scheduling because no one pays if the passengers are just sitting on the runway without food, water, or toilets. Let us MAKE the airlines and airports actual schedule just as every other business does, it is just in time delivery, and the car company can do it for the thousands of parts in a car. Surely the esteemed AC industry can do it with a few AC and a few hundred paxs, no????
This rule should apply to all airlines and airport that are FAA regulated and operate scheduled flights. Tarmac delays would become a thing of the past after this rule was pasted. This system would force the airlines to develop realistic schedules and then make the flight. As it is now the airline can get your money and then cancel the flight after sitting on the aircraft for 6 hours with no payout. MAKE THEM PAY!!!
First, take a look at the high and low price for a seat on an AC for a particular flight. Why is there 100s of dollars difference? There are well established ways to compute an “average” passenger (including “average baggage”. The airlines should also know the cost of flying and AC from point a to point B at full capacity. Now that we know the average passenger, the total capacity, and the total cost it is a simple math problem to determine price per passenger. If the low price noted above is below break even then the airline is losing money. if the high price is very much above break even then the airline is ripping off the customer (I believe this is the case).
In any case the cost per passenger seat mile should be public… more »
…knowledge and listed on the ticket along with the trip length in miles. Then the customer can see what is really going on. Jetblue can fly A to B for $89. Why does a First Class ticket on United (or any airline) cost so much for the same flight? Detail cost analysis would not, I beleive, support the first class ticket cost.
The second issue is one of compensation. It is difficult for me to accept sitting on the ground for 3 hours without being allowed out of the seat, no food, toilets overflowing, etc while the CEO takes home millions of dollars. What does s/he do for this millions of dollars. S/he surely did not effectively manage the AC I was on nor did his subordinates manage that AC. So, why is s/he worth millions of dollars. Let us tie CEO compensation to performance, now that is a novel idea!!!
A side issue is the concept of checked baggage vs carry on baggage. People are carrying on very big bags because of the checked baggage fees and the general hassle of checked baggage. BUT when you are the last third of the plane to board you have to leave your bag at the gate for placement in the baggage hold. Now, this is for CONTINENTAL but I assume that other Airlines operate in the same fashion. I was told by the gate agent that I had to check my bag. I asked what the Airline liability was. I was told, after I repeated the question several times with NO response form the agent, that if I said one more word I would NOT be allowed to Board. My issue was that I had a laptop, money, credit cards, medicines, etc in my bag AND I had no where to place them if I gave up the bag. So, after I return I wrote the CEO. Of course that esteemed gentlemen id SO busy managing that he could not take time from his extremely busy schedule to reply so I got a letter from Customer Service, note that this letter is not from the CEOs Office, an executive complaint manger, or anyone special, just Customer Service. They said (I quote) ” Exclusionary items remain exclusionary regardless of the method of being checked. This includes cash,…” The letter does on to state (again, I quote) “…Passengers not wishing to gate check their carry on bag may opt to be rebooked for a later available flight that MAY have available carry on space…Customers may request the presence of a supervisor at any time. However, the customer must be aware that our supervisors have assigned duties …It may be a wait for a Supervisor to arrive. During this time the flight may board and depart…we sincerely regret that the situation has left you with a negative impression…We hop to leave you with a better impression…”
In other words, we (CONTINENTAL) got your money and we (CONTINENTAL) can have our agents abuse you and mistreat you, and you (THE PAYING PASSENGER) have no recourse whatsoever. This is why I try not to fly. I believe that CONTINENTAL is a terrible airline devoid of leadership but they are not alone. I believe that the government should step in a STRONGLY regulate them until the CEOs learn to manage and the rank and file learn that they can be replaced.
All Airlines should be required to list the time at terminal, time to board, time out of gate, time wheels up, time wheels down, time to gate, time to deplane, time out of terminal for ALL flights at all airports on all tickets sold from any source. Missing any one time by 10 minutes entitles each passenger one round trip ticket anywhere that airlines flys for one year without any restrictions.
If they miss any one time by 30 minutes or any combination of times within 30 minutes, each passenger can fly anywhere that airlines flys for free for one full year.
If they miss any time, or combination of times, by one hour, or more, then all passengers on that flight fly for free anywhere that airline flys for life.
Also, Tarmac delays should be limited to one hour and then ONLY if the sircraft… more »
No AC should be permitted to taxi more than 30 minutes, of this 30 minutes only 10 minutes are permitted to be without moving. Moving is regulated at greater than 5 MPH and not moving is regulated at 5 MPH or less.
Of couse the Airlines and Airports will say that they cannot live with these regulations. My question is why not? It is a simple scheduling issue. At the present time there is NO scheduling because no one pays if the passengers are just sitting on the runway without food, water, or toilets. Let us MAKE the airlines and airports actual schedule just as every other business does, it is just in time delivery, and the car company can do it for the thousands of parts in a car. Surely the esteemed AC industry can do it with a few AC and a few hundred paxs, no????
This rule should apply to all airlines and airport that are FAA regulated and operate scheduled flights. Tarmac delays would become a thing of the past after this rule was pasted. This system would force the airlines to develop realistic schedules and then make the flight. As it is now the airline can get your money and then cancel the flight after sitting on the aircraft for 6 hours with no payout. MAKE THEM PAY!!!
John R Willis « less
The issue that I have is two fold.
First, take a look at the high and low price for a seat on an AC for a particular flight. Why is there 100s of dollars difference? There are well established ways to compute an “average” passenger (including “average baggage”. The airlines should also know the cost of flying and AC from point a to point B at full capacity. Now that we know the average passenger, the total capacity, and the total cost it is a simple math problem to determine price per passenger. If the low price noted above is below break even then the airline is losing money. if the high price is very much above break even then the airline is ripping off the customer (I believe this is the case).
In any case the cost per passenger seat mile should be public… more »
The second issue is one of compensation. It is difficult for me to accept sitting on the ground for 3 hours without being allowed out of the seat, no food, toilets overflowing, etc while the CEO takes home millions of dollars. What does s/he do for this millions of dollars. S/he surely did not effectively manage the AC I was on nor did his subordinates manage that AC. So, why is s/he worth millions of dollars. Let us tie CEO compensation to performance, now that is a novel idea!!!
A side issue is the concept of checked baggage vs carry on baggage. People are carrying on very big bags because of the checked baggage fees and the general hassle of checked baggage. BUT when you are the last third of the plane to board you have to leave your bag at the gate for placement in the baggage hold. Now, this is for CONTINENTAL but I assume that other Airlines operate in the same fashion. I was told by the gate agent that I had to check my bag. I asked what the Airline liability was. I was told, after I repeated the question several times with NO response form the agent, that if I said one more word I would NOT be allowed to Board. My issue was that I had a laptop, money, credit cards, medicines, etc in my bag AND I had no where to place them if I gave up the bag. So, after I return I wrote the CEO. Of course that esteemed gentlemen id SO busy managing that he could not take time from his extremely busy schedule to reply so I got a letter from Customer Service, note that this letter is not from the CEOs Office, an executive complaint manger, or anyone special, just Customer Service. They said (I quote) ” Exclusionary items remain exclusionary regardless of the method of being checked. This includes cash,…” The letter does on to state (again, I quote) “…Passengers not wishing to gate check their carry on bag may opt to be rebooked for a later available flight that MAY have available carry on space…Customers may request the presence of a supervisor at any time. However, the customer must be aware that our supervisors have assigned duties …It may be a wait for a Supervisor to arrive. During this time the flight may board and depart…we sincerely regret that the situation has left you with a negative impression…We hop to leave you with a better impression…”
In other words, we (CONTINENTAL) got your money and we (CONTINENTAL) can have our agents abuse you and mistreat you, and you (THE PAYING PASSENGER) have no recourse whatsoever. This is why I try not to fly. I believe that CONTINENTAL is a terrible airline devoid of leadership but they are not alone. I believe that the government should step in a STRONGLY regulate them until the CEOs learn to manage and the rank and file learn that they can be replaced.
John R Willis « less