Airlines Move to Ground Flyer 'Bill of Rights'

Airline blames 'network connectivity'

(AP) - United Airlines said Saturday that a computer glitch that grounded flights nationwide and left some passengers stranded overnight had been fixed. The airline blamed the problem on "a network connectivity issue" and said it was in the process of resuming normal operations. But the airline also indicated passengers may experience some delays for the rest of the weekend. More»

Robert Sayegh says he may sue

(NEWSER) - Apparently, cursing can get you kicked off a plane—as a Brooklyn man found out the hard way yesterday. After a layover in Detroit, Robert Sayegh and the rest of the passengers on Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 5136 had been waiting at the gate for 45 minutes. A flight attendant overheard him commenting to his seatmate, "What's taking so (expletive) long to close the overhead compartments?" The plane taxied to the runway, but then returned so police could escort Sayegh off. More»

(NEWSER) - The budget-airline boss who's thinking about charging passengers to use the bathrooms on his planes wants you to know that he doesn't feel a bit bad about it. If you expect to be coddled, Michael O'Leary tells the New York Times, Ryanair's not for you. O'Leary—famed for his rudeness and his readiness to tack on every possible extra charge to keep ticket prices low—is just about the only airline CEO who has anything to boast about these days: Ryanair expects passenger numbers to jump from 58 million to 68 million this year while rival airlines flounder. More»

(NEWSER) - Passengers who really want to save money on Ryanair may soon be able to purchase "standing room only" tickets on the discount airline's flights, reports the Sun. Under the plan, passengers would huddle about "bar stools" with seat belts. Ryanair officials have already talked to Boeing about designing new planes with standing room that could cut costs as much as 20%. The firm has applied for permission to make the changes with the Irish Aviation Authority, said a source. More»

(NEWSER) - Nobody likes the middle seat on an airplane, and a recent study shows fliers would rather endure some novel discomforts than sit squeezed between two seatmates. BlackBook runs down a few—as well as what's particularly unpleasant about the middle seat.

• 56% of respondents would rather have their teeth drilled at the dentist's.
• 54% would prefer a doctor's visit to the middle seat.
• 20% of fliers would spend the night at an airport hotel for a chance at an aisle seat the next day.