Fly Houston - Minneapolis in only 12 hours!

[BookstoreEscapee]

Continental ExpressJet passengers sit on plane in Rochester, MN for 6 hours before being allowed off; meanwhile another diverted flight gets a bus to Minneapolis. They offered to take the ExpressJet passengers but the airline declined.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32361238/ns/travel-news/

[sms001]

Seriously, after a couple of hours, I would have demanded to be let off, SCish or no. And if refused, called the police. Crazy!

[Amina516]

I dont know what id do in that situation.....I couldnt be on a stationary plane for even 1 hour, much less 6. I guess I could call the cops. Or go ape shit psycho...take one for the team, get arrested so at least it gets the doors open and everyone else can get off...while I get a ride downtown. lol.

[ditchdj]

Yet another reason why I won't fly.

[Caveat Emptor]

I would have said after an hour "I want off."

If the response was "We can't let you off" I would have asked "Let me get this straight - you're detaining us against our will?"

"No, sir.."

"Then let. me. off."

"You would miss the flight."

I don't care. Let me OFF.

"Sir, keep your voice down please. We can't do that..."

"So, even though you say you're not detaining us, you in fact *are* if you will not let us off. O-kay...<gets cell phone> I would suggest you call and wake a supervisor, because if I or anyone on board has to call the police and report an illegal detention, I can virtually guarantee that both you and your flight crew will at the very least be looking for a new job when all this is over, in addition to possible criminal charges."

[EricKei]

...Except that the crew on the plane were not the ones in charge... (emphasis mine)

In Minneapolis, Continental's dispatchers decided to wait out the storms rather than cancel the flight and bus passengers the remaining 85 miles.

[blas]

When Northwest Airlines went on strike, we ended up stuck and not able to connect to the gate at the Murderapolis airport because picketers were standing there and would NOT move.

I was about ready to scream "Run them the fuck over!" because our flight from Seattle was delayed SEVERAL hours because of the strike, the flight was long and horrid, we were stuck in the air waiting to land half again as long as the previous time we'd flown....and then on top of it all....picketers picked the best place to refuse to move.

[mattm04]

When Northwest Airlines went on strike, we ended up stuck and not able to connect to the gate at the Murderapolis airport because picketers were standing there and would NOT move.

I was about ready to scream "Run them the fuck over!" because our flight from Seattle was delayed SEVERAL hours because of the strike, the flight was long and horrid, we were stuck in the air waiting to land half again as long as the previous time we'd flown....and then on top of it all....picketers picked the best place to refuse to move.

Strike or not, screwing with airplanes so they can't let passengers off, keeping them in the air circling, etc. seems like it should be illegal. Too many chances for a accident or a passenger who may hat flying and needs to get off ASAP. If you need to picket, do it in front of the airport.

[taxguykarl]

I would definately have called the corporate office and then the police. My wife is diabetic and if she goes without food for too long she becomes an unbearable harpy. For that reason alone, I would have called the police on the flight crew if corporate did not order the plane to the gates.

[ditchdj]

Strike or not, screwing with airplanes so they can't let passengers off, keeping them in the air circling, etc. seems like it should be illegal.

Yeah, if anything, you want more people to support your cause. Forcing them to sit on the tarmac and be held prisoner on the plane is NOT gonna garner support or sympathy for your strike and your cause.

[EricKei]

Don't airplanes normally carry "just enough fuel to get where they're going" plus say half an hour more (both to save $ and to make the plane lighter overall, thus requiring less fuel in total)? If so, picketers preventing a landing could very well have endangered peoples' *lives*

I can certainly understand people being pissed off enough to picket, but at least let them land >_>