Originally Posted by
ryan182
the carrier has to pay, I'd be all for the pax getting the $! Sitting on a plane one the ground for >3 hours would suck but getting a check for $27,500 would certainly lessen the sting
Paying the government probably costs the airlines more.
I've talked to two or three different people who have been IDB'd and were owed cash compensation but didn't know to ask for it -- in each I talked to them about what happened, looked at the rules, and got them to write to the airlines to request cash compensation checks, which in every case they wrote.
My experience is totally anecdotal, but I have a feeling the government will be more consistent about demanding payment for these incidents and more effective at getting paid, compared with individual passengers who have less leverage and are not experts at getting statutory compensation.