It was a bit less than a year ago that I was heading back from Newfoundland after a glorious week’s vacation and was turned away in St. John’s because our flight had been canceled. I was furious. How ca an airline do that, I fumed? How can they just turn you away, and provide no help to find a hotel, let alone partially or fully subsidize one. We spent the rest of that day just trying to find a reasonable place to stay for the night before getting up and heading back to the airport to try again.
Well, it seems Stanley Bing over at Fortune has had a similar experience and he has penned a Traveler’s Bil of Rights in his column this month. Some of the items on the list are a bit more tongue in cheek…that, for example, executive fliers should never have to eat the lasagna. But his second right, after demanding every traveler have the right to a town car (OK, that’s a bit elitist…but it IS Fortune), his second right is that no traveler shall suffer the cancellation of a flight.
Is this realistic? No it is not. Weather, mechanical failure and lots of other reasons can lead to a flight being canceled. But what the airlines should have is a better system of accommodating fliers who’s flights have been canceled. Airports should have sleeping lounges or at least make it so seats perhaps fold out. Coffee or drinks should be given. Yes, I know the airlines industry is still suffering economically, but me and Stanley don’ think it’s to much to ask for a little more help when a flight is canceled. This is the 21st century after all and ‘m mad enough don’t have my darn jet-pack yet.