But while delays are often a pain, they can be even more so when you're waiting on the tarmac, as some of the passengers affected by the outage have said. summer from the extreme and dangerous heatPlanes unable to cool cabins on earth as in heaven.
If your flight gets stuck on the tarmac beyond a certain point, airlines may owe you money. But there's a catch.
Protections for U.S. airline passengers are “rudimentary” compared to those in Europe, said Eric Napoli, general counsel at claims management firm AirHelp. “The best you’re going to get is what the airlines are willing to give you in the terms and conditions you have with them.”
You will have to defend your interests.
Your fundamental rights on the tarmac
Tarmac delays have decreased dramatically since the Transportation Department implemented rules to protect customers from delays, said William McGee, a senior fellow for aviation and travel at the American Economic Liberties Project. But some tarmac stops can still be exasperatingly long.
Depending on how long you're stuck on the tarmac, airlines in the United States have certain obligations.
By Ministry of Transportation RulesAfter two hours, airlines must provide their passengers with food, water, “comfortable” cabin temperatures, Access to a functioning toilet and medical assistance, if needed. Beyond that period (before three hours on the tarmac for domestic flights and before four hours for international flights), a plane must offer passengers the opportunity to disembark. The exception to that rule, Napoli said, is if a safety issue prevents the plane from returning to the gate.
The same runway rules apply to arriving planes. If travelers do not have these essential provisions, Napoli recommends filing a complaint with the airline as soon as possible.
Airline Policies for Flight Delays
Some airlines that provide food, hotel or transportation vouchers or flight credits for other types of delays would provide the same for tarmac delays, provided it is within their specific guidelines.
To find out your airline's policies, check the Department of Transportation website. Flight Cancellations and Delays Dashboardthat compiles information on compensation and rights from 10 U.S. carriers. The dashboard lists airlines that provide travel credit or vouchers for delays of more than three hours (JetBlue, Southwest and Alaska) and those that provide hotel accommodations and transportation during long delays (all except Frontier). The Department of Transportation does not define “Significant delays” do, however, warrant a refund, so travelers who believe they are entitled to one should file a complaint with their airline on a case-by-case basis.
McGee also recommended that passengers download their airline's contract of carriage, a document that serves as a contract between U.S. airlines and their passengers. Contracts of carriage can be difficult to understand, but knowing your rights helps you assert your rights.
“You have to do a little bit of prep work. I wish I could say it's easy…but it's not in the United States,” McGee said.
How to get what airlines owe
No matter the issue, whether it’s a delay or a cancellation, contact the airline’s customer service promptly. Especially during massive disruptions like the CrowdStrike outage, avoiding the rush to seek help can mean the difference between getting help quickly and waiting hours or days for a response.
THE best way to reach customer serviceAccording to experts, communication takes place in person or over the phone. Talking to a real person, even if it requires a long wait time, means you can more directly assert your rights, rather than arguing with a chatbot.
