BE OF GOOD cheer. Relief might be in sight for those of you who must, absolutely must, subject yourselves to the tender mercies of our airlines.
This year has been the worst for delays since the Department of Transportation began keeping records thirteen years ago. Carriers cancelled 90,000 flights, and racked up delays of more than 15 minutes on 900,000 others. In June, 462 flights sat on the tarmac for more than three hours after leaving the gate. Stories of filthy conditions on planes marooned on the runway for more than six hours fill America’s press with consequences too gruesome to be reported in a newspaper read by many of you who have had time for breakfast, or are looking forward to a snack en route to the office. Passengers pressing congress to enact an “Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights”, want the right to deplane after being trapped on the tarmac for three hours. As usual, private sector arrogance begets demands for more government regulation.
