JetBlue, Delta Seek OK to Break “3 Hours on Tarmac Only” Rule

March 9, 2010 | Posted in: Airline News,Ask Rick,Delays,Delta,DOT,Travel Tips

It is not the intention of JetBlue or Delta to be cruel or mean – it just kind of looks that way as they seek an exemption to keep passengers on the tarmac for more than three hours, if they have to.

A bit of background: starting April 29, a new Dept. of Transportation rule goes into effect that orders airlines to let people off planes if they’ve been sitting there, going nowhere, for three hours.

It seems DOT Secretary Ray LaHood got tired of waiting around for a “passengers rights bills” and just went ahead and said, “Three hours? That’s enough!” And there are big fines for those who violate this new rule – according to the New York Times, they’ll be dinged $27,500 per passenger.

But here’s the problem: the main runway at JFK is closed for improvements for the next few months and airlines like JetBlue and Delta are scared there’ll be all kinds of delays and on-the-tarmac idling – and, record fines.

Work at JFK is already causing delays. It’s a pity the passengers might have to pay for that, with extra long waits. If your travels take you in or out of Kennedy, be sure to bring a book (Stephen King’s latest, I’m told, is 1,088 pages long, which sounds about right).  

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5 Responses to “JetBlue, Delta Seek OK to Break “3 Hours on Tarmac Only” Rule”

1. William Beem says:

   March 9, 2010 at 10:58 am

   You know what? I don’t care about the excuses airlines come up with to avoid fines. If the delays are that bad, then they are likely known before boarding the plane. If we can’t leave the ground, why get us on the plane only to sit on the tarmac for hours? Why put us in seats in our upright position, denied access to lavatories and electronics because we “might” move at any moment, but probably not?

   Screw the airlines and their metrics. They want to claim that they had an “on-time departure” because they pushed back from the gate, all at the expense of the customer. Fine ‘em!
2. Ken says:

   March 9, 2010 at 11:22 am

   What continues to baffle me about the delay fines is that the passengers get nothing. I assume the $27K per passenger fine goes to the DOT’s general fund? Or to give Ray LaHood a bigger bonus so he can continue uttering idiotic comments about not driving your Toyota cars? Why don’t the inconvenienced passengers get any compensation?

   Oh, yea, I forgot. It’s the government.
3. Rick Seaney says:

   March 9, 2010 at 1:46 pm

   William,

   You raise some good points. Now, let’s see what the DOT does.

   Best,
   Rick
4. LiveToTravel says:

   March 10, 2010 at 1:55 am

   OMG! The airlines continue to torture their customers, and the customers pay the price wasting their precious vacation time, or missing a connection flight which causes even more stress and money for the customer. For those flying on business, they might miss the meeting to save their company. Hey, but who cares? Not the airlines. That is obvious! I feel strongly that each flight passenger should receive some sort of monetary compensation for their CONTINUED inconveniences.
5. Rick Seaney says:

   March 10, 2010 at 11:00 am

   Lori,

   I think there are a lot of people who share your concerns (now is that an understatement or what?).

   Thanks for writing,
   Rick