Results tagged “passengerbillofrights”

On Friday, a Sun County flight to Minnesota from JFK Airport—usually a 2 1/2 hour journey—was stuck on the tarmac for six hours before take off—and now Senator Chuck Schumer and NY State Assemblyman Michael Gianaris want the U.S. government to pass the passenger bill of rights. Reports say that the flight was supposed to take off at 11 a.m., but boarding only started at noon and it didn't take off until 6 p.m.: "Sun County chief executive Stan Gadek said in a statement the airline regretted the delay and would issue refunds. Adding to the frustration, passengers said the flight crew brought out the food cart after three hours, but passengers had to pay for the items." One passenger said, "I was sitting in the 17th row, and all the food was gone." Earlier this month, a Continental Express flight sat on a Rochester, Minnesota tarmac for almost six hours—and overnight (it "smelled like diapers. It had no food and a full toilet")—prompting a Department of Transportation investigation.

The City Council was expected to pass a bill of rights for passengers of livery cars today. The NY Post reported that "A placard outlining 11 rules will be installed in the back-seat area of some 40,000 for-hire cars, granting livery passengers similar rights to those already posted in yellow cabs." The rules will prohibit drivers from changing fares, but also allow passengers to be in control of noise/music, climate and cellphone use! Too bad nothing can be done about that cologne scent that permeates most cars. City Councilman Daniel Garodnick noted the importance of the bill, stating "when you get into one of these cars there is absolutely no indication of city regulation in any way and we thought that New Yorkers needed to know that this is regulated by the New York City Taxi Commission and there are rights with every trip."