Governor Spitzer signed airline passenger bill of rights legislation that will ensure that passengers on delayed flights in NY State airports are "provided with basic customer protections." Spitzer said, "As a major international travel hub, it is our duty to take the lead in adopting measures that will ease air travel for passengers."
The bill, backed by Queens Assemblyman Michael Gianaris and Long Island State Senator Charles Fuschillo, will "require airlines to have snacks and water, fresh air and power, and working restrooms for passengers on planes that leave the gate and sit on the tarmac or more than three hours." Or, as Gianaris put it, "New York has the most delayed airports anywhere, and people are paying hundreds of dollars right now to be treated like garbage."
The bill was created in response to the many high-profile incidents of airlines keeping passengers in planes, like what many Jet Blue passengers endured on Valentine's Day (pictured). Of course, the next step might be ways to figure out how airports can handle all the flights (NYC does have the worst airport delays), but we'll settle for planes not being too close to each other.
Jet Blue also instituted a Customer Bill of Rights, which offers reimbursements depending on delays or cancellations.
