WingNaPrayer
Veteran
Passengers Claim "Wrongful Imprisonment"
Two passengers have filed suit against American Airlines over Dec. 29, 2006 flights in which they were stuck on the tarmac in Austin for more than eight hours, after being diverted amid bad weather over D/FW.
That's the infamous day that sparked the latest drive for an airline passengers' "Bill of Rights." Passenger Kate Hanni, who was on one diverted flight, has since created the Coalition for an Airlines Passengers Bill of Rights, testified before Congress and been interviewed countless times in the media about the issue.
Hanni filed suit in California, and passenger Catherine Ray of Fayetteville, Ark., filed a complaint in Arkansas. The lawsuits accuse American of false imprisonment, inflicting emotion distress, negligence, breach of contract and fraud, and asks for damages as well as class-action status. The Ray complaint includes some lurid details from her flight, including:
"While confined in Austin, the toilets became full and would not flush and the stench of human excrement and body order filled the plane."
"Passengers were deprived of access to medications, nutritional supplements and needs, and hydration, especially needed by infirmed, elderly and children."
"Passengers were forced to witness the physical and emotional distress and panic of other passengers."
Passengers suffered hunger, thirst, anxiety, physical illness, emotional distress and monetary loss as a result of (American's) failure to permit passengers to exit the aircraft to the airport terminals or to supply the parked aircraft with essentials of water, food, sanitary waste removal, light and breathable or fresh air at normal temperatures."
From Star Telegram SkyTalk
Newser
Two passengers have filed suit against American Airlines over Dec. 29, 2006 flights in which they were stuck on the tarmac in Austin for more than eight hours, after being diverted amid bad weather over D/FW.
That's the infamous day that sparked the latest drive for an airline passengers' "Bill of Rights." Passenger Kate Hanni, who was on one diverted flight, has since created the Coalition for an Airlines Passengers Bill of Rights, testified before Congress and been interviewed countless times in the media about the issue.
Hanni filed suit in California, and passenger Catherine Ray of Fayetteville, Ark., filed a complaint in Arkansas. The lawsuits accuse American of false imprisonment, inflicting emotion distress, negligence, breach of contract and fraud, and asks for damages as well as class-action status. The Ray complaint includes some lurid details from her flight, including:
"While confined in Austin, the toilets became full and would not flush and the stench of human excrement and body order filled the plane."
"Passengers were deprived of access to medications, nutritional supplements and needs, and hydration, especially needed by infirmed, elderly and children."
"Passengers were forced to witness the physical and emotional distress and panic of other passengers."
Passengers suffered hunger, thirst, anxiety, physical illness, emotional distress and monetary loss as a result of (American's) failure to permit passengers to exit the aircraft to the airport terminals or to supply the parked aircraft with essentials of water, food, sanitary waste removal, light and breathable or fresh air at normal temperatures."
From Star Telegram SkyTalk
Newser