Three Hour Rule for Airlines

This is a regulation destined to suffer from the Law of Unintended Consequences.

Stinky toilets, crying babies, airless cabins - the Obama administration said Monday passengers don’t have to take it any more. It ordered airlines to let people get off planes delayed on the ground after three hours.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the three-hour limit and other new regulations are meant to send an unequivocal message to airlines not to hold passengers hostage on stuck planes. Coming on the eve of the busy holiday travel season, the announcement was hailed by consumer advocates as “a Christmas miracle.”

The airline industry said it will comply with the regulations - which go into effect in 120 days - but predicted the result will be more canceled flights, more inconvenience for passengers.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a frequent airline patron and have some comment on this.  In all of the flights I’ve ever taken, I’ve been stuck on the tarmac for more than three hours a couple of times.  It sucked.  It was hot, stinky, and a generally miserable experience.  I don’t recommend it for anyone.  But the very few times I have endured it, it would be infinitely better than the plane heading back to the gate and canceling - forcing me to find another flight hours or days later.  Think this through a bit…

- a plane has been on the runway for 2.5 hours in line waiting for take off.  Instead of waiting another 35 minutes, it heads back to the gate and cancels the flight.

- Delays throughout the airport are several hours long.  The airlines don’t want to risk anyone staying out there too long, so they just cancel the flights (hint: your ticket doesn’t allow for any refunds if the cancellation is due to weather). 

The crap goes on and on. 

This is a perfect example of government reacting to a rare - if extremely crappy - situation in a way that will result if far more slightly less crappy situations. 

Your government at work, folks.