Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Travelers purchasing cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages are supposed to benefit from the new DOT (Department of Transportation) rules that punish airlines for stranding passengers on planes for excessive amounts of time. Continental’s CEO Jeff Smisek claims that this new rule will force airlines to cancel flights vs. take a chance on paying stiff fines, resulting in passengers experiencing more trouble getting to their destinations.

Under the new rule, which takes effect the end of April, carriers can be fined up to $27,500 per passenger per plane for planes that are sit on runways for over three hours, with passengers having no way to exit the planes.

Smisek claims that lengthy runway delays are unusual and are usually the result of an outdate air traffic control system that the government has yet to upgrade.
Airline industry officials continue to maintain that each airline should be given the option to use their best judgment and wait out runway delays even those extending past three hours.

Airlines have raised concern that because of the number of flights that have been eliminated due to the recession the remaining flights are fuller and passengers whose flights are cancelled will have fewer opportunities to get on another flight. According to Smisek passengers on cancelled flights may be delayed “for maybe days” in getting to their destinations.

DOT counters that the new rules will help travelers select airlines that do not have tarmac delays or that regularly cancel flights.