JFK the Hard Way

In an egregious instance that speaks convincingly to the veracity of the contempt in which legions of air-travelers hold air-carriers, American Airlines compelled a plane-load of New York-bound passengers to panic-attacks, tears, and mass-misery when it held them aboard one of its jets for six-hours with limited air-conditioning at Charlotte Douglas International Airport—in late July.

The passengers—sweltering, miserable, and sobbing—were denied drink and food during their quarter-day-incarceration—which American alleges was attributable to a fuel-system malady with which the aircraft was afflicted. After thee-hours in the 95°F Charlotte sun with only limited air-conditioning, the passengers were transferred to a second aircraft, aboard which they sat an additional three-hours—this time with no air-conditioning.

Genna Contino, a reporter for the Charlotte Observer who was aboard the flight, stated in a tweet that by the sixth hour of confinement aboard the aircraft, one of her fellow-passengers exhibited symptoms of mental breakdown. Contino added that despite widespread distress and anguish, American Airlines refused to allow passengers to disembark the aircraft.

According to Contino, the airline turned off the aircrafts’ air conditioning to save fuel.

After initial requests for comment went unanswered by the air-carrier, American Airlines spokesman Andrew Tull corroborated Contino’s account of the incident, stating that maintenance issues and a weather delay had caused the six-hour holdup.

Tull further stated that the flight to JFK originally boarded at 13:40 EDT, but the airline later instructed passengers to exit the plane at 15:50 EDT and board the second aircraft at 16:30 EDT, which eventually departed for JFK at 19:30 EDT.

"While certainly an unfortunate delay, it is something we apologize to our customers for with the combination of maintenance and weather," Tull prevaricated.

FMI: www.smartertravel.com/airline-passengers-bill-rights/