New Rules Regarding Flight Delays

The Transportation Department is on the verge of enacting new rules about flight delays.

The basics:

After 3 hours sitting on the tarmac, the airline will have to let you off the plane.

Airlines are required to provide some sort of food and water after 2 hours.

The new rule will prohibit airlines from scheduling chronically delayed flights.

Imposes huge fines per passenger on the airlines if they don’t comply.

Here’s my two cents, as someone who spends a ton of time in the air.  Will the government please stay out of this?  The airlines do a crappy enough job already.  They don’t need any help.

From what I’ve read, the bill gives airlines all types of outs based on weather, etc.

And, really, if an airline traps you in an airplane for two hours, you have the freedom to make a choice.  Don’t fly them again.  Tens of thousands of flights take off without any issues, and some big problems are bound to happen.  We’re free to take our business to any other airline (or choose not to fly).

The government trying to regulate air travel in this fashion is akin to a monkey trying to fornicate with a football.