Cash to passengers for delays

[linebacker35]

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MP proposes to give passengers cash for airline delays
Article Comments (11) BRENT JANG

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

February 4, 2009 at 9:20 PM EST

Consumers could collect $500 an hour if airlines leave them stranded on the tarmac and tickets would be advertised with “all-in” prices that include taxes and surcharges, according to a passenger bill of rights to be introduced by an New Democratic Party MP next week.

The threat of forcing carriers to pay hundreds of dollars to each passenger should vastly reduce the instances where planes are stuck in limbo at airports across Canada, Winnipeg MP Jim Maloway said in an interview Wednesday.

“Happy customers are what we all want here. We're making this bill friendly for consumers,” said Mr. Maloway, who plans to table his private member's bill on Tuesday.

Playing down skepticism from industry observers about the chances of the bill ever becoming legislation, he emphasized that MPs from all parties are frequent fliers who will recognize the need to beef up protections for travellers.

“Tarmac delays are getting out of hand,” he said, proposing that travellers kept on planes for more than 60 minutes after the doors close will be entitled to start receiving compensation at a rate of $500 an hour.

The National Airlines Council of Canada declined comment Wednesday.

Mr. Maloway also said consumers are frustrated by fares advertised by airlines that seem low at first glance, but then balloon when various taxes, airport improvement fees and other surcharges are added in.

Under the bill of rights, carriers face fines of $10,000 every time they advertise base airfares instead of the full amount, assuming Ottawa finds its way through a maze of federal and provincial rules.

In other proposals, airlines must make an announcement about delays, cancellations or diverted planes within 10 minutes of employees learning of any such information.

Carriers would be fined $1,000 for each case that they keep consumers in the dark too long, Mr. Maloway said.

“Airlines shouldn't sit on the information. They should get on the public address system and let people know what's going on.”

Hotel rooms and meal vouchers should be provided for flights that are postponed until the following day, and for daytime delays of greater than five hours, carriers should reimburse fares, he said.

Travellers whose flights are delayed for more than two hours would be entitled to meals and refreshments, as long as the snag isn't due to severe weather conditions.

Mr. Maloway wants airports and control towers to be the final arbiters of what constitutes weather delays, not the airlines.

As for lost luggage, there are existing guidelines in place to compensate consumers, but he is seeking to relieve some of stress by proposing that carriers inform passengers of the whereabouts of missing bags “on a timely basis,” or face a $100 fine for every tardy explanation.

Consumers who are forced to give up their seat on an overbooked flight could be compensated $500 by an airline, if the route is less than 1,500 kilometres. For flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres, the compensation would rise to $800 and flights longer than 3,500 kilometres would yield $1,200 for bumped travellers, said Mr. Maloway, who is modelling his bumping penalties after the European Union.

He praised Air Canada for taking new steps to reduce the disrupting effects of overbooking.

Under a program rolled out Wednesday, consumers could receive up to $57 for each one-way flight on Air Canada if they volunteer to be bumped to another departure time.

The carrier has teamed up with a travel company, Optiontown, to deliver a “flexible reward option” to Air Canada passengers, dangling cash to persuade them to willingly give up their seat with advance notice of at least 48 hours



Without a doubt they are on drugs!

[metaxa]

wow. there are so many things wrong with that arbitrary series of proposals that i don't even know where to begin. most of the issues there are mutually exclusive. aviation is deregulated. and how can you ask ATC and airport management to regulate things such as weather decisions on behalf of (trained, experienced) flight crews, not to mention punish airlines for what are currently considered to be sound operational decisions? no governement will ever pass such a bill.

[B-rad]

Air travel is a Privilege not a Right!

[B-rad]

While this obviously is in response to annoyances with aviation, the only real solution is... if you want better services...PAY UP! you get what you pay for so quit whining.

[Mustard]

Leave it to a politician to think his time is worth $500/hr.

[mattedfred]

this has nothing to do with an elected government official willingly coming to the aid of those he was elected to represent. this is about buying support. air travel is not a right. noone will be physically harmed or put in danger if a flight is delayed. most often flights are delayed due to either safety or legality. the weather is poor so it is either unsafe or illegal to fly. the aircraft went mechanical so it is either unsafe or illegal to fly. the crew is fatigued or sick so it is unsafe or illegal to fly. the traveling public aren't even paying the real cost of air travel. would they be happier if they paid 10 times what they currently pay, just so there were more spare aircraft, spare crew and improved facilities at every airport?

[Four1oh]

If air travel isn't a right, then why are the double seaters getting 'rights' instead of 'privileges'?

[yycflyguy]

This is great. Now I want a customer bill of rights everytime I am delayed at the doctor's office, the bank and the supermarket. I am thinking I could make upwards of $1500/day for all my inconveniences.

[mattedfred]

If air travel isn't a right, then why are the double seaters getting 'rights' instead of 'privileges'?

air travel isn't a right but if you choose to fly you do have rights

big difference

[AuxBatOn]

This is great. Now I want a customer bill of rights everytime I am delayed at the doctor's office, the bank and the supermarket. I am thinking I could make upwards of $1500/day for all my inconveniences.

The problem is that the doctor doesn't advertise that you'll be done by X time. The airline does advertise you'll be in Y city at X time.

[mattedfred]

The airline does advertise you'll be in Y city at X time.

as in you will? i'm not aware of an airline that guarantees arrival times. that's why it's called a schedule.

[yycflyguy]

This is great. Now I want a customer bill of rights everytime I am delayed at the doctor's office, the bank and the supermarket. I am thinking I could make upwards of $1500/day for all my inconveniences.

The problem is that the doctor doesn't advertise that you'll be done by X time. The airline does advertise you'll be in Y city at X time.

That's why I want my bill of rights for every service that I use...
apparently my sarcasm is lost

[AuxBatOn]

The airline does advertise you'll be in Y city at X time.

as in you will? i'm not aware of an airline that guarantees arrival times. that's why it's called a schedule.

It may not be guaranteed, however passengers still choose their tickets with the arrival time in mind (hopefully with some slush time). There has to be a limit on how long delays (non-weather) are before the airlines have to start compensating.

If not, how much slush time should I take into account? Hours? Days?

[mattedfred]

i believe the current system includes company specific compensation policies as well as federal regulation. i would prefer the market to dictate the level of compensation and when it should be offered rather then increased regulation. for example: if company A provides each guest with a free hotel room if they are unable to make it to their destination the day they depart and company B does not then the market will decide which company they choose. the consumer has way more power than they realize and government regulation can sometimes get in the way of it.

[E-Flyer]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... ional/home

MP proposes to give passengers cash for airline delays
Article Comments (11) BRENT JANG

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

February 4, 2009 at 9:20 PM EST

Consumers could collect $500 an hour if airlines leave them stranded on the tarmac and tickets would be advertised with “all-in” prices that include taxes and surcharges, according to a passenger bill of rights to be introduced by an New Democratic Party MP next week.

The threat of forcing carriers to pay hundreds of dollars to each passenger should vastly reduce the instances where planes are stuck in limbo at airports across Canada, Winnipeg MP Jim Maloway said in an interview Wednesday.

“Happy customers are what we all want here. We're making this bill friendly for consumers,” said Mr. Maloway, who plans to table his private member's bill on Tuesday.

Playing down skepticism from industry observers about the chances of the bill ever becoming legislation, he emphasized that MPs from all parties are frequent fliers who will recognize the need to beef up protections for travellers.

“Tarmac delays are getting out of hand,” he said, proposing that travellers kept on planes for more than 60 minutes after the doors close will be entitled to start receiving compensation at a rate of $500 an hour.

The National Airlines Council of Canada declined comment Wednesday.

Mr. Maloway also said consumers are frustrated by fares advertised by airlines that seem low at first glance, but then balloon when various taxes, airport improvement fees and other surcharges are added in.

Under the bill of rights, carriers face fines of $10,000 every time they advertise base airfares instead of the full amount, assuming Ottawa finds its way through a maze of federal and provincial rules.

In other proposals, airlines must make an announcement about delays, cancellations or diverted planes within 10 minutes of employees learning of any such information.

Carriers would be fined $1,000 for each case that they keep consumers in the dark too long, Mr. Maloway said.

“Airlines shouldn't sit on the information. They should get on the public address system and let people know what's going on.”

Hotel rooms and meal vouchers should be provided for flights that are postponed until the following day, and for daytime delays of greater than five hours, carriers should reimburse fares, he said.

Travellers whose flights are delayed for more than two hours would be entitled to meals and refreshments, as long as the snag isn't due to severe weather conditions.

Mr. Maloway wants airports and control towers to be the final arbiters of what constitutes weather delays, not the airlines.

As for lost luggage, there are existing guidelines in place to compensate consumers, but he is seeking to relieve some of stress by proposing that carriers inform passengers of the whereabouts of missing bags “on a timely basis,” or face a $100 fine for every tardy explanation.

Consumers who are forced to give up their seat on an overbooked flight could be compensated $500 by an airline, if the route is less than 1,500 kilometres. For flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres, the compensation would rise to $800 and flights longer than 3,500 kilometres would yield $1,200 for bumped travellers, said Mr. Maloway, who is modelling his bumping penalties after the European Union.

He praised Air Canada for taking new steps to reduce the disrupting effects of overbooking.

Under a program rolled out Wednesday, consumers could receive up to $57 for each one-way flight on Air Canada if they volunteer to be bumped to another departure time.

The carrier has teamed up with a travel company, Optiontown, to deliver a “flexible reward option” to Air Canada passengers, dangling cash to persuade them to willingly give up their seat with advance notice of at least 48 hours



Without a doubt they are on drugs!

Would this cash go out of the pilot's pockets for not being fast enough with the cockpit preparations?

[bcflyer]

I think its time for all of us to do more than just comment here about this obviously misguided bill. Jim Maloway has a website where you can go and voice your opinions. If we all went and posted comments about how ludicrous some of his points are maybe he would have a second thought about it. If not then send the same letters to anyone who may be voting on it. As someone else has already pointed out, this bill has so many problems that I don't really know where to start.

[crazy_aviator]

ohh the ignorance and brainwashing !! When a little boy goes into the candy shop and puts 25 cents on the table for a 25 cent candy, does HE think it is a priveledge to give the 25 cents and NOT receive the candy ? has he been taught that way ? WHEN you , an adult , go into a candy store and put 5 dollars down on the table with 5 dollars worth of candy next to it ,,,do YOU think the counter person will accept the money and not give you the candy ??? Have YOU been taught that way ? So, lets think about putting money down on an airline ticket , get the idea ? How about driving YOUR car that YOU paid for and the roads you PAID for and the police services YOU paid for, do YOU think it is a Priveledge to drive, Are YOU brainwashed ?? Canadians KNOW your RIGHTS !!

[B-rad]

ohh the ignorance and brainwashing !! When a little boy goes into the candy shop and puts 25 cents on the table for a 25 cent candy, does HE think it is a priveledge to give the 25 cents and NOT receive the candy ? has he been taught that way ? WHEN you , an adult , go into a candy store and put 5 dollars down on the table with 5 dollars worth of candy next to it ,,,do YOU think the counter person will accept the money and not give you the candy ??? Have YOU been taught that way ? So, lets think about putting money down on an airline ticket , get the idea ? How about driving YOUR car that YOU paid for and the roads you PAID for and the police services YOU paid for, do YOU think it is a Priveledge to drive, Are YOU brainwashed ?? Canadians KNOW your RIGHTS !!

You should re-think the way you live your life. It is a dam PRIVILEGE to be able to buy candy, drive nice roads, and have police services. Try visiting a country without them and you'll see how privileged you are.

Aviation is not in business to hold people hostage in airplanes parked on the tarmac. Unfortunately it happens and I know I sure don't like it to happen to me. However, it's a reality and paying passengers for the time of the delays is the wrong way to try resolving the issue. It isn't a matter of people paying for a flight and then the Airline going "thanks for the moola" and then walking away.

It boggles my mind when these kind of "solutions" come up as any kind of brainstorm to a problem.. Where the @#$! did these people get educated.

[crazy_aviator]

Your very answer just showed how ignorant Canadians are ! Websters says :
Privilege : a SPECIAL right, advantage ( over others) or favour ! IT is because we have RIGHTS and some sort of equality and rights etc that we are not YET a 3rd world country ,,,think about it ,,,the RIGHTS have been taken away from people in the "countries" you mention !! Do YOU think that getting your car licence to drive on the road is a SPECIAl favour or special right over another. The only ones in highly CORRUPT countries who have PRIVILEGE over the poor and disadvantaged and downcast are those who have authority over them and who abuse them and steal from them and lie to them etc etc NOW you Canadians who continue to be brainwashed into this mentality are surely helping to set this country up to be dictated over and ruled with corruption by a PRIVILEGED class !!! Dont you understand the original nature of democracy ,, "by the people, for the people" ?? But now you can only imagine an US and THEM mentality !!! IGNORANT !

[B-rad]

.....priveledge..... Priveledge....

Well I'm glad you found your Webster dictionary.

I do think you're missing the point still.

[bobcaygeon]

This guy is brilliant. According to him an airline with a full 150 seat airplane would have to pay $75000 an hr for a delay.

Would I really want to get on an airliner knowing that the captain and his boss are thinking about that # as they deal with a mtc issue / delay??

Can you say welcome back to the days of "get you there or die trying" Even those with the best intentions would have trouble not being influenced by it.

Surprise, surprise he is from YWG. Maybe Alberta should pay for that too? They paid everything else there. Too bad Bre-X was a better investment than MB.

[AuxBatOn]

Now that I think about it, I got a compensation when my AC flight departed 1.5 hours late last time I flew with them (sitting in the plane). My first beer was free

Good enough for me

[Pratt]

ohh the ignorance and brainwashing !! When a little boy goes into the candy shop and puts 25 cents on the table for a 25 cent candy, does HE think it is a priveledge to give the 25 cents and NOT receive the candy ? has he been taught that way ? WHEN you , an adult , go into a candy store and put 5 dollars down on the table with 5 dollars worth of candy next to it ,,,do YOU think the counter person will accept the money and not give you the candy ??? Have YOU been taught that way ? So, lets think about putting money down on an airline ticket , get the idea ? How about driving YOUR car that YOU paid for and the roads you PAID for and the police services YOU paid for, do YOU think it is a Priveledge to drive, Are YOU brainwashed ?? Canadians KNOW your RIGHTS !!

You should re-think the way you live your life. It is a dam PRIVILEGE to be able to buy candy, drive nice roads, and have police services. Try visiting a country without them and you'll see how privileged you are.

Aviation is not in business to hold people hostage in airplanes parked on the tarmac. Unfortunately it happens and I know I sure don't like it to happen to me. However, it's a reality and paying passengers for the time of the delays is the wrong way to try resolving the issue. It isn't a matter of people paying for a flight and then the Airline going "thanks for the moola" and then walking away.

It boggles my mind when these kind of "solutions" come up as any kind of brainstorm to a problem.. Where the @#$! did these people get educated.

Where about are you located, be interested in dropping by some time!!

[sarg]

I'm all for a passenger bill of right as outlined, as long as it is introduced with on airline bill of rights. Every delay cause by Nav Canada staff shortages, airports that cann't keep runways clean, de-ice aircraft in a timely manner, TC delays in dealing with requests. Maybe $100,000/hr would work then the airlines could all start making some real profit.

Not to mention a national air rage list that sees passenger banned from travel on all carriers if their placed on it.

[bmc]

i for example: if company A provides each guest with a free hotel room if they are unable to make it to their destination the day they depart and company B does not then the market will decide which company they choose. the consumer has way more power than they realize and government regulation can sometimes get in the way of it.

It's more likely that company A will follow B. Why pay out when no one else does? It happened with travel agent commissions, fare increases, fuel surcharges, ancilliary charges for pillows, window seats, etc, etc. It's called signaling and it invites scrutiny from regulators. British Airways saw a couple of their executives carted off to prison. The US recently assessed big fines against a number of carriers for fuel charge fixing.

Net result is the consumer has far less power than they expect. I'm not saying I agree with the proposal, just pointing the reality of the marketplace. Why offer bells and whistles when your competitir doesn't it? If you do, he'll match. Do you both want to engage in cost increases? Not likely.

Sadly, ignorant consumers will jump on this one. They'll be the same ones that demand airlines keep spare planes lying around in some of the fleet gets grounded somewhere due to weather. Oh, and they'll demand the cheapest airfares, and the highest standards of maintenance.