Tarmac Delay Policy Chart

Posted by George Hobica on Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Airline	Policy Goes Into Effect After a Delay of...	Status Updates	Food, Water, Lavatories & Medical Care	"Light at the End of the Tunnel" Clause	Compensation
Airtran	Not Specified	"will provide the best information available to us"	"refreshements available on request" "ensure that lavatories remain serviceable" "professional medical assistance made available if necessary"	Mentions deplaning. Doesn't specify time-frame.	None Mentioned
Alaska	Taxi-out: (before take-off) Over 1.5 hours Taxi-in: (after landing) Over 1 hr	"At least every 30 minutes"	"aircraft servicing (lavatory service and/or catering services) may be arranged if recommended by the flight crew" "flight crew has access to medical professionals, via MedLink, a contracted medical advisory service"	"It is always our intent to deplane within an hour of the time a contingency plan is activated and never more than two hours after your arrival."	For a delay of more than 2 hours you get frequent flyer miles, but not if the delay is due to weather, air traffic control, or "extraordinary circumstance beyond our control"
Allegiant	Not Specified	Not Specified	Not Specified	Not Specified	None Mentioned
American	Taxi-out: Over 2 hours Taxi-in: Over 2 hours	Not Specified	"food (snack bar such as a Nutri-Grain) water, restroom facilities and basic medical assistance"	Not Specified	None Mentioned
Continental	Taxi-out: Over 2 hours Taxi-in: Over 2 hours	Every 20 minutes	"adequate food, potable water, adequate restroom facilities and access to necessary medical treatment"	2-3 hour delay results in initiating gate return and deplaning	None Mentioned
Delta	Taxi-out: Over 2 hours Taxi-in: Over 1 hour	"will make timely announcements"	"snacks, beverages" "make every reasonable effort to ensure aircraft is properly serviced"	Mentions deplaning. Doesn't specify time-frame.	None Mentioned (unless free headsets and in-flight entertainment count)
Frontier	Not Specified	Not Specified	"make every possible effort to provide food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical treatment"	Not Specified	None Mentioned
JetBlue	Taxi-out: Over 3 hours Taxi-in: Over 1 hour	Not Specified	"food, drink, access to clean restrooms and as necessary, medical treatment"	Will take necessary action to deplane for delays over 5 hours	Issues vouchers for future travel that increase in value with the increase of the length of the delay
Northwest	Taxi-out: Over 5 minutes past scheduled departure Taxi-in: Over 1 hour	Every 15 minutes	Not Specified	When a taxi-out reaches 3 hours, gate return is initiated. When a taxi-in reaches 1 hour, "event recovery plan" is initiated.	Issues "service recovery packets," which can include frequent flyer miles or a travel discount certificate, as well as meal vouchers. Values increase for longer delays.
Spirit	Not Specified	Not Specified	"may provide limited amenities and services, which may be required by certain passengers in order to maintain their safety, health and welfare... provided as a courtesy and are not to be considered an obligation"	Not Specified	None Mentioned
Southwest	Taxi-out: Over 2 hours Taxi-in: Over 2 hours	"will provide the best information available to us"	"Refreshments available on request" "make every reasonable effort to ensure that lavatories remain serviceable: "professional medical assistance... if necessary"	Mentions deplaning. Doesn't specify time-frame.	None Mentioned
United	Taxi-out: Over 3 hours Taxi-in: Over 1 hour	"best available information... in a timely manner"	"provide food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical treatment"	Not Specified	For taxi-out delays over 4 hours and taxi-in delays over 1.5 hours, discount travel certificates are issued.
US Airways	Taxi-out: 1 hour Taxi-in: Not Specified	Will start to update you at 5 minutes	"provide food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical treatment"	"At 3 hours, information about the flight is escalated through US Airways' senior operations management for a decision about returning to the gate."	None Mentioned

Categories: Airline Industry News

Oops, flight from San Diego okay. Delays were in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

by Sandikat2 on Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Hi,
Just read your list of Airline policies. I just returned home from an American Airlines flight. Arrived in San Diego two hours early as requested. Boarded plane and taxied out. Weather problems. Back to the terminal. Returned to line of planes to fly out. Oops, co-captain and flight attendant now over their alloted hours - must get new crew - and oh, yes, since flight will be longer require fuel. All in all, sat on the tarmac for four and 1/2 hours. No Nutrigrain bar, no offer of water. Second flight attendant now reports to captain door does not seem to close properly. Mechanic on board. By then folks are joking about breaking out the mini bar, and if the doors closes "we're taking that mechanic with us and getting out of here". Really WAS problem with door. For that reason (mechanical failure) only we were deplaned. One other flight from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Chattanooga - via Chicago and Georgia. Ran out of those seats. Were put up in hotel only because equipment had failed. Very happy I'd brought entertainment and extra food. What a nightmare - basically lost a day of a 5-day trip - but overall, most passengers tried to find humor where we could.

by Sandikat2 on Wednesday, April 01, 2009

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