'Abandoned' in Cheyenne (USA TODAY)

[kurth]

'Abandoned' in Cheyenne
Updated 2/20/2007 7:03 AM ET
By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY

Tears filling his eyes, Roger Barbour watched in disbelief as two United Express jets took off without him just before Christmas at the Cheyenne airport in Wyoming. He wasn't the only one left behind. Two planeloads of passengers — 110 people — whose flights had been diverted to Cheyenne after a blizzard hit Denver's airport on Wednesday, Dec. 20, were shocked the next day when the pilots and flight attendants boarded the aircraft and flew to other cities without them.

Some in the airport cried as they were left behind. Others were furious or stunned at the move, which U.S. Department of Transportation officials later called highly unusual. "I couldn't believe they were actually leaving us," says Barbour, who was going to his wedding in Canada after attending his father's memorial service in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Airline officials say the jets flew without passengers to Kansas City and Indianapolis on Dec. 21 because the jets were needed for other routes. Buses arrived the next day to take passengers to Denver, but Barbour and other passengers say many were not aware that buses were on the way... United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy says various factors led the jets to leave Cheyenne without passengers. Among them: "We had customers at other airports."...

After the jets left without them on Dec. 21, many passengers stayed at Cheyenne's airport for a while, trying to figure out what to do. There weren't enough rental cars for everyone, but some who got them carpooled with others and drove up to six hours to the Salt Lake City airport, which was open. Others drove two hours to Denver and waited at least another day for the airport to open. Some called relatives or their companies to rescue them. Others checked back into Cheyenne hotels and waited for bus service the next day.

At the time, United didn't pay their expenses. Some passengers who complained later were offered a $150 credit for a United ticket. The airline's stance changed Monday night, when it learned USA TODAY planned to publish this story. United decided to pay hotel and meal expenses of all passengers left in Cheyenne, McCarthy says...

http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2007-02-19-cheyenne-cover-usat_x.htm

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Makes you not want to fly

How horrible.

[Warren DeMontague]

2. All this is a very logical outgrowth of the "fuck the passengers" attitude the airlines have had

these past several years.

It's been palpable, and I'm not in the least surprised that it's finally reached the point where folks aren't gonna sit still for it anymore. This airline passengers bill of rights is well overdue.

[sandnsea]

3. Well, the 'fuck the people' attitude

that every industry has, imo. I hope young people never forget that you cannot trust business to do the right thing, no matter what package Republicans wrap it up in.