New York state implements airline passenger rights bill

New York State's "Airline Passenger Bill of Rights" went into effect this week, mandating airlines to provide water, snacks, fresh air and working restrooms for departing passengers delayed on planes at New York airports for more than three hours.

Airlines found to have broken the "Consumer Bill of Rights" for airline passengers would face penalties of up to 1,000 U.S. dollars per passenger.

 New York is the first state in the United States to adopt such a measure, which was created after delays at John F. Kennedy International Airport last February left passengers stranded on planes for more than 10 hours.

The new law, however, does not apply to tarmac delays that happen while planes wait for gates after they land, which is when many delays occur in bad weather.

Report by David Wilkening

Thursday, January 3, 2008

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