Flight To Newark Dubbed "Hell On Wheels"

Could this be the summer of nightmarish travel stories? This week we've already heard about United destroying one passenger's luggage, and now word is that a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for Newark became an in-flight sauna. One passenger told CNN, "It was like four hours on the ground without any air conditioning. It was crazy. Just crazy. There were babies on the plane. And we are in dark and hot. You try to be patient but people were yelling and screaming."

There were 300 passengers on board the flight, which left from Heathrow Airport last night with a malfunctioning generator and air conditioner. After delays, the aircraft took off but then hit storms in New York, and was diverted to Bradley Airport in Connecticut. Upon landing, the power was going out, there was no fresh air coming in and NBC reports that the aircraft sat on the tarmac for four hours as temperatures reached 100 degrees.

People were fainting, and three were taken away in ambulances—though airline officials say there is no evidence this was linked to the aircraft's conditions! One passenger dubbed the flight "Hell on Wheels"—and perhaps there will be a sequel when the passengers are now bused to their Newark destination.

The flight is not subject to the new rule which fines airlines up to $27K per passenger if they are left on the tarmac for longer than 3 hours. A Virgin rep says, "That is a U.S. regulation. We are a European carrier so we operate under European law. We haven't infringed any rules." Virgin also says that the delay was caused by immigration, because Bradley Airport isn't used to dealing with so many international travelers at once. Maybe this was all just one big riff on that old Monty Python sketch. Ah, British humor.

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By Jen Carlson in News on June 23, 2010 9:33 AM

Comments [rss]

Anonymous

Please join our passenger group if you were on the flight http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=138785372801382&ref=ts

EmJae

If you want to learn more about the new rules proposed by the Department of Transportation and comment upon whether the DOT should extend these rules to international flights, visit www.regulation room.org. This it the official site for the public to comment on the new rules for the DOT's consideration.

ZANSR

The Virgin line about Bradley not being able to deal with the number of people might be true to some extent. While the airport might not have enough customs officers to quickly deal with a 747, they could work through it while the passengers waited in the international terminal. The international terminal there is a separate building and has a ramp that can accommodate a 747. They should have deplaned the passengers and moved on.

youngpro

'Ah, British humor.'

...mis-spelled 'humour.'

rammyh

This shit has got to stop now! That we the public, sheep that we are, allow airlines to keep us hostages in their fucking planes for hours on end, regardless of conditions within the plane, just because they don't want to lose money on refunded tickets, etc - is bullshit. Let me out of the damn plane! taxi back to a gate, send a bus/trolley, clear a path and I will walk back to the damn terminal - but let us out of the damn plane! Call 911, kick open the emergency doors - if passengers did this routinely, they'd have to stop charging/arresting people for the heinous crime of not wanting to be stuck on a hot, smelly, foodless and waterless plane for hours on end.

Mr Mel

My own experience with Virgin Atlantic was just as bad. Malfunctioning equipment on board, rude non-caring employees on the flight as well as on the ground. Their Premium Economy, which is flacked as a Business Class type of upgrade was nothing more than Coach with an open bar and it didn't come cheap.

hotstepper

meanwhile, deep inside his secret illustrious mountain bunker, Richard Branson does the backstroke in his glittering pool filled with golden doubloons.

tgg001

"Hell on WHEELS?" When I think of Airplane, the fist thing I think of is .....Wheels!

Atomische

Turn on your cell phone. Call 911. Report that you are being held against your will.

Lauren

Wow. My girlfriend flew Virgin from Newark to Heathrow last night. Her flight was meant to leave at 9 pm, then it got delayed until midnight, and then it got canceled. Most people were able to get on another flight that evening, but not all. I'm assuming that the trouble with her flight was due to flight, and that she was meant to have flown on the "flight from hell" plane back to Heathrow.

Bloody hell Virgin.

Jen Chung

Can you imagine if you had to take a plane that had a malfunctioning generator and AC unit? Eep!

grandzu

The new rule only applies on domestic flights so it wouldn't be in effect here anyway.

Jen Chung

I don't understand—if a British carrier is operating a plane in U.S. territory, it's only subject to European regulation, not U.S. regulation?