Airports not accommodating passengers.
 

The airlines are charging for every little thing anymore. Yet, when a storm hits and you are in flight and must remain at an airport because of weather. Why doesn't the airport treat the people like valued clients? The idea the venders close and the airline themselves can't bring in pizzas, fruit and water for their customers is just wrong. We did use to do this at DTW in my working years at Northwest if someone thought about it. Should always have diapers on hand too.

I'll probably get flamed, but my opinion is 'doing the right thing' has now been replaced with 'complying with the minimal legal requirements that govern any situation'. Years ago it would have been unthinkable not to be accommodated (if possible) somewhere overnight during irrops.

I don't get it. Why does the self-loading cargo think it is a valued client? :confused:

Passengers are a nuisance to the U.S. air travel industry, nothing else. Every possible customer-service touchpoint throughout the system - airlines, airports, TSA, etc. - reaffirms this in the sharpest possible manner.

The airports themselves definitely do not want you there any longer than necessary. Definitely not U.S. airports, which are basically large bus depots.

I'm fairly certain that Comcast and Sprint think of me as a more valued client than any airport does. ;)

That's better than wanting you there for as long as possible, due to having turned every inch of available space into a hellish Ikeaesque duty free maze and pulling out every stop to squeeze every last penny out of you at overinflated prices. Welcome to UK airports.

Airports not accommodating passengers.
 

Why should the responsibility be on the airport, which is often a publicly owned entity? You seem to be confusing airlines and airports in your initial post.

As for the food vendors, you would think it's a missed opportunity to not sell more food. I mean, if you normally close at 8:00 but people are obviously going to be there for a few more hours, it's a captive audience and a chance to make money.

Once we got stuck in MSP years ago due to weather when my daughter was a baby. I don't remember if it was NW or the airport (I think the former) but they brought out diapers and I think even a bit of formula for people. I wouldn't expect that to happen nowadays.

Are you volunteering to work at an airport Sbarro at minimum wage during a snow storm?

The customers for the airport are NOT the passengers but the airlines, rental car companies, and shops. That is exactly what I was told by my local airport director in a meeting regarding the rebuild of the SLC airport.

^

If the OP is thinking specifically about the East Coast this week as it gets hit by a major blizzard, I think you're having a bit of tunnel vision. Mayors, governors, etc., have imposed curfews, shut down mass transit and ordered people to stay off the streets. Who, exactly, is going to cook and deliver those pizzas?

I love what East Coasters call a "major blizzard".



The rest of the U.S. refers to it as "three inches of snow." :p

http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/...64-665x385.jpg
"Three inches of snow" as viewed from Kansas City :rolleyes:

That looks like good sledding! :cool:

Nice snark, but there's a bit of a fact check in order.
The New York suburbs have experienced up to 28 inches of snow, and more is expected. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/view/prodsBy...rodtype=public
New England is worse. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/view/prodsBy...rodtype=public
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/view/prodsBy...rodtype=public

Winds of up to 50 MPH

BOS? 20.8 inches
PVD? 15 inches
BDL? 7.5 inches
ISP? 24.8 inches.

Average annual snowfall in New York? 25.1 inches and 11 days
Boston? 43.8 inches and 22 days
Kansas City? 13.4 inches and 8 days

So check yourself.

Those 28+ inches are in Suffolk County which would only generously be called a New York City suburb. The vast majority of New York City and it's surrounds were in the 8-12 inch range.

Still I think the OP has a point, about the airlines, and not the airport. These days terminals at the airports are privately run and managed although the concessions are leased to private operators. So it takes a lot of likemindedness to get to where the OP wants. It's not just a case of a few guys getting together and calling Dominos.

MSP keeps a stock of (free to use) cots, blankets, and pillows for stranded passengers.

When there are overnight flight delays, I've seen DL staff at MSP stand in the hotel shuttle bus area to help confused passengers and pass out bottles of water.

Maybe we're just Minnesota nice?