Another AA Nightmare Flight

Old Jul 28, 2022, 11:08 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by ESpen36
Actually, it's more than that....it is a federal offense to refuse to follow crewmember instructions on board an aircraft, or to interfere with the duties of crew members.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-1.../section-91.11
Your interpretation is extreme. You do not need to follow all crewmember instructions. You need to follow valid instructions relative to safety, security, the FARs, airline OpSpecs, etc. But aircrew cannot order you to do anything they dream up.

And I'm on the side of interpreting that aircrew of an aircraft parked at an airport terminal gate with the main entry door open and a jetway attached ordering you to stay aboard against your will is not a valid instruction. Had I been on this flight and wanted to, I would have deplaned without giving it second thought.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 11:10 am
  #32  
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Originally Posted by ESpen36
Actually, it's more than that....it is a federal offense to refuse to follow crewmember instructions on board an aircraft, or to interfere with the duties of crew members.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-1.../section-91.11
You might want to re-read the link you posted. You just made up the part about refusing to follow their orders.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 11:13 am
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by EXP100
In my experience the GA tells people if they get off they can't reboard and the GA won't rebook paxs. ...
Both of those are lies. Worst case, the GA doesn't let you reboard and then someone else rebooks you, but the former is probably more work for the GA rather than less.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 11:13 am
  #34  
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Originally Posted by EXP100
In my experience the GA tells people if they get off they can't reboard and the GA won't rebook paxs.
Fine. Call their bluff if you really want off.
Last summer after a 3 hour delay on the a/c I asked could I get off and just rebook for tomorrow and was told no.
Get off and deal with the rebooking later. Certainly a 3 hour delay is long enough to demand a full refund under the AA CoC, isn't it?
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 11:46 am
  #35  
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There are a couple of things that come to mind.

Firstly the source is one of the more sensationalist newspapers in the UK. Facts are not allowed to cloud a good story and it thinks that Boris Johnson is the reincarnation of Winston Churchill

Without going from point - the overriding fact is that this is an aircraft not a prison, The people aboard have paid to to be there, not ordered there by a Judge. The last thing that the airline wants is people getting off as that does mess up the reboarding. The only way that people can be prevented from leaving is if the doors are shut, the aircraft is at a remote gate which was boarded by bus or which requires walking any distance across a tarmac. If the aircraft is on an international service and has to divert for whatever reason - people are not allowed to disembark as the cannot enter the country. Years ago we had to divert to LAS before it had international flights and there were no facilities there for entering the USA, This was due to fog at LAX,

However, this does not apply in this instance.This was a delay and the passengers were kept in miserably conditions. I do not know if some law at CLT prevents the bars being opened but we would have done so as the flight was not international. The F bar would most definitely have been open unless there is, as I say, some local rule preventing this. Passengers who wanted to leave and were prevented should state that they were feeling unwell and did that would be that. Neither the crew nor the GAs will want sick passengers aboard. I would go as far as to say that this prevention could be viewed as an illegal confinement. That they do not want you to leave is one thing, that they forbid you from leaving is another and ultimately they have no authority to detain you.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 12:56 pm
  #36  
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Being that the quoted person is a journalist, let's fact-check, shall we?

Here's the direct quote from Twitter:



This is where the 6 hour quote is from. Also, she forgot the water they passed out earlier.

Here's the actual flight information OskiBear [Go Bears!] had noted in an earlier post :



The extra flying was due to flying around some storms:



Adding some sensationalism from UK's favorite tabloid, here we have a mish-mash of a delayed flight, with some mild drama from the Spanish speaking lady, and manufactured drama from a journalist who happens to be onboard.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 1:34 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by js1993
Both of those are lies. Worst case, the GA doesn't let you reboard and then someone else rebooks you, but the former is probably more work for the GA rather than less.
+1

GA is just bluffing making a statement like that especially if the flight is just sitting at gate being delayed; the GA is just not doing their job.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 1:37 pm
  #38  
 
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Really surprised no one has posted the official rules
https://www.transportation.gov/indiv.../tarmac-delays

If the door was open of course this doesn't apply because the passengers have the opportunity to get off the plane and should exercise it if wanted. If the FAs are refusing to let pax off then I would say that there is "no opportunity" to get off the plane and the Tarmac delay rules apply. You can get off after 3 hours, but the airlines is not required to rebook you.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 1:38 pm
  #39  
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Here's another article on the same flight, with more statement from AA:

Passengers did have the opportunity to get off the plane due to it still being at the gate and its fourth boarding door remaining open through the delays, Trull said. If the door was closed and the plane was off the gate, then a snack would have been provided “after a period of time,” he said.

The heat could be attributed to it being a “hot day,” but a preconditioned air hose was likely attached to the aircraft and pumping cool air from the jet bridge aboard the plane, Trull said. He did not say if the hose was connected, but confirmed that a piece to hook it up with was available. Contino shared on Twitter Sunday night that the plane’s air source appeared to be off or low because “They turned it OFF to save fuel until people started sobbing and having panic attacks.”
Original article: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/ne...#storylink=cpy
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 1:41 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Raymoland
Really surprised no one has posted the official rules
https://www.transportation.gov/indiv.../tarmac-delays

If the door was open of course this doesn't apply because the passengers have the opportunity to get off the plane and should exercise it if wanted. If the FAs are refusing to let pax off then I would say that there is "no opportunity" to get off the plane and the Tarmac delay rules apply. You can get off after 3 hours, but the airlines is not required to rebook you.
Contract for transportation still in place after getting off of plane returns to gate. Passenger will get rebooked.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 2:12 pm
  #41  
 
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when i was stuck on a plane because of a mechanical issue the doors and gate was open and we were told we could get off but we would not be allowed to reboard the flight. Apparently they legally have to inform you that you can leave the plane.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 2:45 pm
  #42  
 
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On AA 1437 from LGA to MIA on Thursday July 22 we were stuck on the tarmac for over 3 hours. I actually nodded off and woke up a little while later thinking we were in the air, but we were still taxiing around. The captain announced that because of bad weather (thunderstorms) on route to Miami, his route had been changed by ATC and he no longer had enough fuel to go via the longer route, so needed to return to the gate to refuel, which took a while, then of course we had to wait for the fuel truck. After 3 hours it was announced that because it had been 3 hours, anyone who wanted to deplane could do so (we were parked at the gate at that point) but they would not be allowed to reboard. Needless to say, I was happy to eventually get to Miami (at 11:45 pm, originally scheduled 7:50 pm).



Last edited by AlastairGordon; Jul 28, 2022 at 2:47 pm Reason: attachment too big
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 2:59 pm
  #43  
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Another reason pax randomly deplaning prior to the 3 hours is bad is the hour long process of unloading and reloading everyone's luggage since they have to retrieve their luggage.

Then another decides to leave and it's all done again.

Much better for those who wish to deplane to all do so at once, hence, the "3 hour rule announcement"
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 3:10 pm
  #44  
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Originally Posted by Raymoland
If the FAs are refusing to let pax off then I would say that there is "no opportunity" to get off the plane and the Tarmac delay rules apply.
I don't understand what it means for the FA to refuse to let you get off. That implies that they have some power to stop you. There is on open door which is attached to a jetbridge which is attached to the terminal. You are an adult. If you want to get off you get up, collect your belongings, and walk through the open door.
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Old Jul 28, 2022, 3:13 pm
  #45  
 
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Originally Posted by js1993
Right, but how would the ramp being closed prevent pax from walking out of an open boarding door?
The problem with ramp closure is you don't know how long it will last. The ramp opens 20 minutes after the last recorded lightning strike with 5 (?) miles of the field. Every new strike resets the clock.
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