Donations needed: We desperately need contributions. During this period of election saturated coverage, we're trying to build up our resources so we are ready to pounce when the time is right. We have to find those breaks in coverage and put out our news at just the right moment or we’ll be lost in the fray.
So please help us to help you. We're working to prevent you or your family members from being held on a tarmac without having food, potable water. Please visit http://www.flyersrights.com/contribute.html to contribute or send a check to the address in the Donations section below. Every little bit helps.
On March 6th, passengers on seventeen American Airlines and American Eagle flights were stuck inside parked aircraft at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for hours in direct violation of parent company AMR's “rule”. Passengers want answers; how could this happen after the company had supposedly taken precautions to ensure that something like this couldn't happen.
It happened because there are no state or federal laws to make these incidents illegal. We’re fighting to get those laws in place. But we're up against powerful airline lobbies! The lobbies have a lot of money with which to fight us…they give generously to Congress.
Last week it was revealed that Southwest Airlines had not complied with aircraft safety inspections required by the FAA. Why were the FAA and Southwest Airlines playing Russian roulette by allowing those planes to fly absent the appropriate inspections? Clearly the FAA was aware there was a problem and chose to ignore it.
If they cut corners and they cut corners to maximize the profits, and when an airline is not afraid of the FAA and the FAA is not catching the errors in a timely fashion that shows an inappropriate relationship with the airlines. How long are we going to allow the FAA to be in bed with the airlines? No oversight coupled with no meaningful regulations is a recipe for disaster.
New York State is the only state with an active Airline Passenger Bill of Rights law. The law protects passengers from being stranded on a tarmac for hours without fresh air, food, water and sanitary restrooms. Last week the Air Transport Association of America brought a legal A-Team to the appeals court in New York City to fight against that law. The judges haven't ruled yet, but for those of us in the courtroom, it seems like a foregone conclusion that the law will be overturned.
No matter. One battle does not a war make. Other states, like California, are moving forward anyway. And we're still fighting in Washington, D.C.!
Kate will be testifying in Sacramento on the 24th in support of the California PAX rights bill. We need as many Californians to attend as possible. Show your support! We'll provide exact time and place in a future email.
We're getting spread pretty thin with all this work! Help! We need volunteers for the following positions and other roles:
If you can help, please email Kate (kate@flyersrights.com).
Picture it. You're traveling with your family. You're stranded on a tarmac and your cell phone battery is getting low. You’re getting no information from the airline, and you are going to miss that big event (business meeting, wedding, funeral, graduation). You're in an unfamiliar city, and you don’t know what to do.
The flight is cancelled and the next thing you know you're standing in a line with 100 other people in front of you, all competing for the next seat on a flight, the next available hotel room, rental car, etc.
How would you like to be the first person in that line, or not have to stand in line at all? What if you could call our hotline and find out what your options are, get a hotel and ground transportation in a few minutes. Our hotline can do that for you. How much would you be willing to pay for that piece of mind on an annual basis? Email us and let us know your thoughts.
We now have a subscription-based method of donation so that you can sign up to donate automatically on a monthly basis. This makes it easier for many to give a small amount per month rather than large chunks of money annually. To sign up please go to our website (http://www.flyersrights.com/contribute.html) and select the monthly contribution of your choice. Credit cards or Paypal can still be used for single donations. For the monthly subscription, you will need to set up a Paypal account. It's easy! The buttons will walk you through the steps.
We also accept checks. Please make checks payable to "CAPBOR" and send directly to:
CAPBOR C/O Kate Hanni 159 Silverado Springs Drive Napa, CA 94558FYI, no one gets paid from these donations. All monetary contributions pay for our bulk email service, website and travel expenses.
We need video, audio, photographs ... anything to record the ugly reality of air travel. Screaming babies, whom we love, are also good audio. We get requests from media outlets for photos and videos of the conditions on airplanes during strandings and other airline related bad behavior. The media will even pay for photos or video if the content is dramatic enough. So if you are an eyewitness to stranding incidents on board aircraft, mishandled baggage, sleeping cots lined up in airports, or anything else that might be interesting to the cause, please take photos or videos and email them right away.
Please don’t break any laws in pursuit of these pictures, and always follow the directions of flight crews regarding the use of portable electronic devices.
Joe Gutheinz is is a lawyer and a college instructor living near Houston, Texas. He is a retired Senior Special Agent with NASA Office of Inspector General and a former Special Agent with both U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and FAA Civil Aviation Security. He is a former Army Aviator (Captain), who was the Executive Officer over a 258 person Aviation Maintenance unit. As a Special Agent, Joe led the most successful task force investigation in NASA history, which resulted in the closure of seven companies and the conviction of a CEO on 180 felony counts. He also investigated everything form Airline pilots, to a new airport, to space shuttles, to the Russian Mir Space Station. As a result of his investigations he received numerous awards, to include the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency Career Achievement Award; the NASA Exceptional Service Medal; and a Special Commendation from the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
See:
Airlines Get F's For Treatment of Stranded Passengers - Travel Getaways News Story - WRC | Washington
http://www.nbc4.com/travelgetaways/15430190/detail.html
'Prisoners of War Have More Rights' Than Stranded Airline Passengers
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2008/03/prisoners_of_wa.php
Air Travelers Take Crusade - Google News
http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1204335606221420.xml&coll=1
Up, Up and Away Goes American Airlines Promise Not to Leave Passengers Stranded on Tarmac Says CAPBOR
Six ways you can rescue the passenger rights revolution - 03/11/2008 - MiamiHerald.com
http://www.miamiherald.com/986/v-print/story/451014.html
ANN Special Feature: Kate Hanni, FlyersRights.org - 03.07.08
http://www.aero-news.net/fb/index.cfm?do=podcasts.viewEpisode&episodesid=2017
Airlines raise fares as costs for fuel climb -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzairfares0311sbmar11,0,3470210.story
You are receiving this email because you signed our petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/airline/petition.html. If you have trouble unsubscribing to these emails or changing your email address, please email mark@flyersrights.com.
============================
Best Regards,
Coalition for an Airline
Passengers' Bill of Rights