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Alison DaRosa, SDNN Travel Editor
For the first time ever, the Transportation Department has levied civil penalties for a tarmac delay.
The DOT this week ordered a $175,000 fine against Continental Airlines, Express Jet and Mesaba for their roles in an Aug. 8 overnight tarmac delay of a Continental Express flight, operated by Express Jet, in Rochester, Minn. Mesaba is the gate operator at Rochester Airport.
Sadly, the money won’t go to those who really deserve it: the 47 people who were trapped for seven hours in a small cramped airplane sitting on the tarmac. A check for $3,723.40 might help ease residual pain.
(Continental eventually did offer apologies to those passengers and refunded the cost of their tickets.)
No surprise, no one is acknowledging wrongdoing, but Mesaba has agreed to pay $75,000 of the fine; Continental and Express Jet will pay $50,000 each.
Oh, and each of the fined companies will get to keep half of what they owe to use for establishing, or strengthening, policies that will prevent this sort of thing from happening again.
Right.
Think we need an air travelers’ bill of rights?
Tags: Airline Passengers Bill of Rights, Continental Airlines, Continental Express, Department of Transportation, DOT, Express Jet, Mesaba, Rochester, SDNN, tarmac delays
