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.
Contents:
American Strands 17 Jets on
Tarmac at DFW
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.
Southwest Airlines and FAA
Playing Russian Roulette with Safety
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 PAX Rights Law in
Jeopardy
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.!
We Need Californians in
Sacramento on the 24th
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.
The Coalition Needs Volunteers
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).
How Much Would You Pay for our
Hotline Service
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.
Donations
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 94558
FYI, no one
gets paid from these donations. All monetary contributions pay for our
bulk email service, website and travel expenses.
Keep the Photos and Videos Coming
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
Joins CAPBOR as Security Advisor and Spokesman
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.
CAPBOR and International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Join Forces
See:
Articles
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
Subscriber Information
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
Kate Hanni
Founder and
Spokesperson
CAPBOR
(707) 337-0328
http://strandedpassengers.blogspot.com