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47 CO Pax Imprisoned Overnight on Stinky E145 @ Rochester, MN
Is this what we @ MSP can expect from CO now that our local service has been downgraded to mostly Barbie-class aircraft?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Star Tribune
Instead, he was among 47 passengers who spent the night trapped inside a small airplane, parked at the Rochester airport, complete with crying babies and the aroma of over-used toilets.
The ExpressJet Airlines that operated the plane says the flight was diverted to Rochester because of Twin Cities thunderstorms, and that airline regulations prevented passengers from getting off the plane.
Christin is incredulous that the airline couldn't figure out an option besides trapping passengers on the plane for nine hours.
Nine hours? Nine hours on a friggin' E145 where the "aisle" is a trough between the seats and many/most adult males can't even stand up in the plane?
Someone at Continental better wake & ensure that this episode is not repeated. And don't pass the buck off on the regional -- the customer's contract is with Continental.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeMpls
Someone at Continental better wake & ensure that this episode is not repeated. And don't pass the buck off on the regional -- the customer's contract is with Continental.
Seems that Continental is already trying to pass the buck to the regional if you read the article!
This situation is exactly why we need a Passengers Bill of Rights.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Star Tribune
As light began to fill the cabin around 6 a.m., the plane doors opened and passengers were allowed into the airport terminal, Christin said. The airlines gave them one free beverage, he said. By about 9:30 a.m., the passengers were sent back on the same plane they had spent the night in -- which by this time had no functioning restroom. They landed in the Twin Cities about 11 a.m.
ExpressJet apologizes for the incident, Nicholas said. But passenger safety and the legal requirements of airlines were top priorities.
Wow! One measly beverage for their troubles. What a crock!
If I were on that plane, after a certain point, I'd be much more concerned with crew safety.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OrlandoFlyer
Seems that Continental is already trying to pass the buck to the regional if you read the article!
This situation is exactly why we need a Passengers Bill of Rights.
I know -- that's what prompted the verbiage you quoted.
As much as the airline is OBVIOUSLY to blame, I really personally am also having a hard time getting past the sheeple mentality of the pax. I mean seriously, would ANY of you tolerate this?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vicarious_MR'er
As much as the airline is OBVIOUSLY to blame, I really personally am also having a hard time getting past the sheeple mentality of the pax. I mean seriously, would ANY of you tolerate this?
No way in heck I would be.
I'm not encouraging this the following behaviour but at some point if I were a passenger on this plane I would've been threatening to pop the emer exit. That's if for some reason I was unable to get CNN on the phone.
I'm not encouraging this the following behaviour but at some point if I were a passenger on this plane I would've been threatening to pop the emer exit. That's if for some reason I was unable to get CNN on the phone.
EXACTLY!
It's clear no one did anything about it because the media would have eaten that for lunch as it was happening. They love that kind of thing.
...and I see your threat of popping the emergency exit and raise you an evacuation slide.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vicarious_MR'er
EXACTLY!
It's clear no one did anything about it because the media would have eaten that for lunch as it was happening. They love that kind of thing.
...and I see your threat of popping the emergency exit and raise you an evacuation slide.
I'm pretty much a CO homer but some things are simply unacceptable. I can deal with a throughly busy runway in EWR. I can handle with any weather delay or cancellation that's out there. But if the issue described in the opening post happened to me, I'd be taking matters into my own hands.
What's a good medical emergency you could fake and them suddenly feel better from once at a gate? In this case the crew probably wouldn't mind this little bit of "help".
But seriously, whether CO is liable due to their relationship with the regional remains to be seen, but the fact is that CO operations downtown (SOCC) does not control Express Jet, Express Jet ops controls Express Jet. Is SOCC, in addition to controlling every CO flight in the air at any given moment, supposed to also monitor every regional flight that they have a contract with as well?
And if they did know about it, what was CO supposed to do? That would be like saying that Express system ops would have any control over a mainline CO flight. Two separate operations.
Your main gripe is with Express Jet operations center.
47 CO Pax Imprisoned Overnight on Stinky E145 @ Rochester, MN
Best in Class 
Pop The Overwing Exit
A Passenger Bill of Rights is certainly needed. 
