Originally Posted by
lizs
but it seems US Airways did not go above and beyond in this case.
From what's been said by those involved, once inside the terminal I don't disagree. I have no idea why only alcoholic beverages were served when there were presumably at least some children present, not counting any adults who may not drink alcohol. As for food, the passengers weren't going to get any on the plane and US doesn't keep a stock of meals/snacks in the terminal for such occasions, but meal vouchers could be handed out at some point for anyone wanting one.
Out at the scene, it's a different story. The airport controls access, not the airline. I suspect that the cars used by women and children to get out of the cold were those of the first responders and airport vehicles. Until US received approval to access the site there was nothing they could do.
Likewise, on-scene it's up to the first responders to make sure that any passengers wandering around are gathered into one group of all the passengers so any need for treatment could be assessed. I would expect that the first responders did a head count and checked it with the crew.
Jim