The children that run our nation's airlines have petchulantly announced that they will engage in wholesale flight cancellations rather than adhere to new DOT regulations that require planes to return to the gate if they've been on the tarmac more than three hours.
Which is probably what they should do anyway, if there's a probability that the flight won't leave within three hours of its scheduled departure. I'm mean, really...think of the savings in fuel and crew stress.
But, it's not just the airlines that are at fault here...it's also the DOT. After all, nicking the airlines $27,500 per passenger (and, just how did they arrive at that number?) per occurrence is just as "stupid" as Continental Airline's CEO Jeff Smisek says it is (there's a big boy word). Because, that would mean a $4 million fine on a fully loaded 737.
What did the DOT expect the airlines to do?
I just can't wait to fly this summer.
Comments