Passenger Bill of Rights

Here in Washington State, lawmakers are looking at passing Senate Bill 6269. The bill states that if people are traveling and the flight is delayed, and are stuck on the tarmac for more than three hours, airlines have to provide passengers with food, water, and toilets. How sad is the state of air travel when we have to pass laws forcing airlines to provide basic necessities such as a place to take a piss. Or how sad that people have to create groups like The Coalition for an Airline Passengers'' Bill of Rights.

According to the Seattle PI there are a couple other items being proposed in the Washington law; "Along with mandating the water and food service, a clause says airlines would have to refund 150 percent of a ticket price to passengers whose flights are delayed for more than 12 hours. It also calls for airlines to publish a list on their Web sites of all flights delayed more than 30 minutes." I know I've had to deal with extended delays, and not only do the airlines not offer to do anything about it, they are rude and act like they are doing you a favor by getting you to your destination at all.

Of course, the airlines are trying to dispute it, saying that it would be difficult to manage if each state has it's own laws. New York for example already has something similar. They say that it should be up to the national government to regulate. I actually agree with that, and it should be up to the national government. The problem is our national government is such a joke right now, that they can barely regulate wiping their own asses, so unfortunately it does end up falling on the states to handle. Oh, and assuming the federal government does take this issues up, according to David A. Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association of America, they will oppose that as well.