Perchoutofwater Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 (edited) Airlines will cancel flights to avoid risk of fines for delays. ETA: Can anyone explain to me why an airliner would be delayed on the tarmac for 3 hours? As I'm sure most of you know I think the less regulation the better, but what absurd reason can their be for airlines to regularly hold people on the ground that long? Has anyone been on the tarmac that long? The longest I've ever been sitting on stationary plane was about an hour and fifteen minutes. Edited March 10, 2010 by Perchoutofwater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Airlines will cancel flights to avoid risk of fines for delays. ETA: Can anyone explain to me why an airliner would be delayed on the tarmac for 3 hours? As I'm sure most of you know I think the less regulation the better, but what absurd reason can their be for airlines to regularly hold people on the ground that long? Has anyone been on the tarmac that long? The longest I've ever been sitting on stationary plane was about an hour and fifteen minutes. Those fines are ridiculous. Up to $27,500 per passenger if the flight is delayed on the tarmac for over 3 hours? C'mon now . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Those fines are ridiculous. Up to $27,500 per passenger if the flight is delayed on the tarmac for over 3 hours? C'mon now . . . Yes, it is ridiculous that fedgov gets into the airline customer service business. Thank you for noticing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Yes, it is ridiculous that fedgov gets into the airline customer service business. Thank you for noticing. Same reason we seceded in 1861. My Granpappy used to tell me how he couldn't fly from Richmond to Myrtle Beach for a weekend round of golf without Abraham Lincoln burning his plane to the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Same reason we seceded in 1861. My Granpappy used to tell me how he couldn't fly from Richmond to Myrtle Beach for a weekend round of golf without Abraham Lincoln burning his plane to the ground. never gets old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Same reason we seceded in 1861. My Granpappy used to tell me how he couldn't fly from Richmond to Myrtle Beach for a weekend round of golf without Abraham Lincoln burning his plane to the ground. Or balloon for that time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 (edited) Airlines will cancel flights to avoid risk of fines for delays. ETA: Can anyone explain to me why an airliner would be delayed on the tarmac for 3 hours? As I'm sure most of you know I think the less regulation the better, but what absurd reason can their be for airlines to regularly hold people on the ground that long? Has anyone been on the tarmac that long? The longest I've ever been sitting on stationary plane was about an hour and fifteen minutes. i sat for an hour once we landed. no open gates supposedly. if they push off from the gate on time, they get credit for leaving on time even if they sit on the tarmac for hours. Edited March 10, 2010 by dmarc117 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Airlines will cancel flights to avoid risk of fines for delays. ETA: Can anyone explain to me why an airliner would be delayed on the tarmac for 3 hours? As I'm sure most of you know I think the less regulation the better, but what absurd reason can their be for airlines to regularly hold people on the ground that long? Has anyone been on the tarmac that long? The longest I've ever been sitting on stationary plane was about an hour and fifteen minutes. Last winter on the way to Hawaii, we sat on the tarmac for nearly 5 hours, it was F'n BS. Weather was bad, and when the de-icer finally got to us it ran out of juice. Our pain and suffering was so Northwest airlines only documented our flight as a gate delay and not a flight delay. They most definitely should have let us back in the concourse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 I've been on the runway for about 1.5 hours once and 45 min or so many, many times. I'm trying to think this thing through. If an airline sees the wait might be over say 1.5 hours, they deem the risk too high, cancel the flight and blame the Feds. Now what do they do with a couple hundred stranded passengers? Say tough nuts? Or do they cancel the flight and create a new one leaving a few hours later? They have the plane and flight crew at that airport already... Seems to me the net time effect for a passenger is about the same, but at least they are in a terminal with bathrooms and food while they wait for the rescheduled flight. Now I have no idea if FAA and airport regulations would prevent such a scenario, but I have a hard time believing that an airline is just going to regularly strand people and not use an empty plane that is already at that airport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimm74 Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Ive spoken with an air traffic controller friend of mine about it and it is a complex issue. As soon as a plane leaves a runway say from Miami to Seattle that plane is "in que" to land in Seattle. It gets a landing time stamp and whatever they do. We are talking moments after ###### off. But of course this one plane in contending with aircraft all over the US, A little 15 minute delay in an aircraft in Charleston, SC or in flight diversion can mess with the whole nasty cause and effect spider web that is air traffic. If a plane is not sitting ready to go it just adds to complexity...by the way I am not saying the airlines do the right things most of the time...they tick me off thinking about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetsfan Posted March 10, 2010 Share Posted March 10, 2010 Airlines will cancel flights to avoid risk of fines for delays. ETA: Can anyone explain to me why an airliner would be delayed on the tarmac for 3 hours? As I'm sure most of you know I think the less regulation the better, but what absurd reason can their be for airlines to regularly hold people on the ground that long? Has anyone been on the tarmac that long? The longest I've ever been sitting on stationary plane was about an hour and fifteen minutes. I was stuck on the runway departing Laguardia for 5 hours in a POS American Airlines jet. The reason for our delay started with thunderstorms coming into NYC, an hour later, no rain. We were then waiting for thunderstorms en-route. Which apparently there is only one flight path between NYC and Dallas, TX that was blocked by a thunderstorm. At hour number 3 we went back to the gate and were told if we got off the plane we would not be allowed back on. We sat there for another hour. Then we rolled back out, sat for another hour, then took off. During all of this time, we got NOTHING from the airline. No drinks, no food, no snacks, nothing. I have not flown American since and never will again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddahj Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 (edited) It seems to me that the airlines know we need them. Even if they piss us off, they know we'll be back for some more. The airlines remind of going to the doctor. I can't remember the last time I got in @ my appt. time. I've worked in retail or food service my entire career & we are trained that without the customer we don't have a job. Someone needs to hold them accoutable. Edited March 11, 2010 by buddahj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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