Gothamist: Another Flight Delay Nightmare at JFK

diamondrunner

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:08:22 -0500

traveling to and from NYC has reached a breaking point. I feel like this... http://www.cafepress.com/airlinez.260308804

NannyState

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:13:21 -0500

Nice touch with the sudoku reference, J.D.S..That about sums up the worst experience a human can have at any time anywhere. At least in a Moscow theatre, hostages get a nice blast of soothing Fentanyl gas to help them sleep through their ordeal.

theevilone

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:07:10 -0500

Had a similar experience with Delta yesterday. They would take you back to the gate, but if you got off the plane, you lost your seat and went to the back of the line behind all of the officially cancelled flights. So we just about all sat there for 6 hours.

jesseps

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:20:34 -0500

you thing that was bad... i was at JFK yesterday from 1pm until midnight waiting for my flight. honestly i should have just left, tried to get my bags and tried to get a train back to Montreal.

Jerk Store

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:10:08 -0500

Incompetence and atrocious customer service at major airlines is just astonishing these days. The fact that the immediate response was "hey, at least we'll refund your money!" would be hilarious in most industries, but the galling truth in the airline business is that it is far from an obvious response -- it's an industry that likes to push the cost and hassle of troubles back onto the customer.

Alex

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:55:53 -0500

Well, even before worrying about legal action, you'd probably want to consider the 20-foot fall to the concrete that'd occur when you walked out of the door. :) I've always wanted to use those awesome inflatable slides anyway :D Aside from the logistical issues mentioned above, you'd probably be facing federal charges for inappropriate opening of an exit door and disobeying the orders of flight crew. Damn, good point. Maybe I would just fake a panic attack/heart attack.

dagblad

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:40:25 -0500

Considering that there were about 150 people on the plane, there must have been some serious ineptitude at the helm to hold them confined for seven hours. At some point, a reasonable person calmly calls the in-charge flight attendant over, and explains what kind of a mistake they are making. No flights taking off or landing? Surely that means there's an opportunity for the plane to taxi back to the gate. I fear getting stuck on Delta someday.

Kojak

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:18:43 -0500

And it would be a little difficult, if not, impossible to open the exit door while the cabin is pressurized.

Politburo

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:46 -0500

"What would happen if I just took my stuff and opened the door and left the plane? What kind of legal action would be taken?" Aside from the logistical issues mentioned above, you'd probably be facing federal charges for inappropriate opening of an exit door and disobeying the orders of flight crew.

FrankMartin

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:02:15 -0500

7 hours. Madness.

mocanlagunas

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:57:55 -0500

I remember some years ago that Delta was No.1 in customer satisfaction... loooooooooong time ago...

cwbuecheler

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:48:32 -0500

@Alex - What would happen if I just took my stuff and opened the door and left the plane? What kind of legal action would be taken? Well, even before worrying about legal action, you'd probably want to consider the 20-foot fall to the concrete that'd occur when you walked out of the door. :) Very few planes that get stuck on the tarmac are still hooked up to a gate or staircase.

jgee

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:43:43 -0500

This is unbelievable and just another reason I will never fly Delta again.

Alex

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:36:54 -0500

Whenever something like this comes up, I always wonder what I would do if I were in a similar situation. Waiting on the tarmac for an hour is a nightmare, I can't imagine seven. What would happen if I just took my stuff and opened the door and left the plane? What kind of legal action would be taken? Being held prisoner by some shitty airline is not something people should be subjected to.

rubyredhead

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:27:07 -0500

scary

Kojak

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:08:55 -0500

Agreed. I've had constant problems with Delta as well. They're almost as bad as US Airways.

woodendesigner

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:03:25 -0500

If an airline did that to me I WOULD NEVER FLY THEM AGAIN! There is NO excuse for that. Airlines need to get their head out of their ass and realize that it is bad business to do that.

cwbuecheler

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:58:20 -0500

I've attempted to fly Delta out of JFK at least six times in the past year or so (they fly cheap to Syracuse, where I visit often), and I have *never* had a positive experience. Multiple delays, cancellations, bumped flights, etc. My advice is to pay the extra twenty bucks and go Jet Blue, whose planes are newer, more comfortable, and (for whatever reason) dramatically better at actually getting off the ground.