Has kidnapping ever been justified on the basis that releasing the person is inconvenient? The onus of figuring out how to evacuate people ought to be on the ones who are holding the people captive. Get 'em a damn ladder if you have to.
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But what needs to be determined, it seems to me, is under what circumstances your desire to leave the plane should reasonably be accommodated.
After all, you entered into a voluntary contract with the airline to carry you to your destination, and part of that contract involves adhering to certain rules regarding passenger conduct, heeding the instructions of flight crew, etc.
Surely you’re not taking a position that any passenger should be allowed, at any time during the taxi process from gate to runway, to decide that he or she wants to get off the plane?
If you are taking that position, we have nothing more to talk about, because it’s patently ridiculous.
And if you’re not taking that position, then under what circumstances should a passenger be allowed to leave the plane? At what point does keeping the passenger in their seat go from being a reasonable enforcement of the ticket conditions to kidnapping?
I’m completely in agreement that some of what the airlines have been doing is reprehensible, and needs to be addressed. But it needs to be addressed in such a way that doesn’t leave room for ridiculous situations whereby one passenger can suddenly change his or her mind and inconvenience hundreds, even thousands of other people. Because if a plane takes off late, it’s not only the people on that plane who are inconvenienced, it’s all the people who that plane is scheduled to carry that day, as well as other people on connecting flights.
I think the conditions should specify that. It could even be something for the airlines to compete over, with necessity leading to better solutions. But if they can hold you indefinitely, being the sole declarers of what is reasonable, and with no assurance that the other guys are any better, then there is no incentive to do anything better. If I know it’s nine hours, then I won’t complain about nine hours. Well… I might complain, but I won’t press charges. 
Next time I go from Toronto to Montreal, I’m taking the train.
One could always try to get an inflight upgrade, as a woman recently did on an India to England flight: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/article2368991.ece
while I will agree that spouse and I have oodles of fun training it from Ohio to DC, I will point out to you that at least in a couple of respects, train travel isn’t that much different - for example - we encountered quite a delay one year, sat on a train not moving for an hour, could move around the train but not off. There was a power outage at one point, which meant no heat, lights etc. There’s no reserved seating, so when we got on the train in Toledo last year, there were no two seats together, and we ended up in the observation car for the trip.
It still beats airports, though, for us.
Me, too. My tour group and I were two hours late getting to Monterey a month ago, not due to Amtrak but due to Union Pacific rail workers; we had several delays that added up to two hours. Fortunately, the train was not loaded, so we moved around a lot and were even able to get off, take photos, enjoy the ocean air, etc. No power outage, thank goodness.
Yup, that sounds like good old British Airways alright. The worst “premium” carrier in existence.
Yeah, they could just open the windows and let some cool air in from time to time.
I’d hate to think of what it looks like if you end up in a full-body scanner thingy at security.
Plus if you use it too early, the restrictions on carrying liquids aboards. “Sure, confiscate it - save me the trouble”
Could I bring my Futuro female urinal on board?
You pretty much do hand your ass over to the airlines when you fly. Note Delta’s conditions of carriage:
Basically if they decide to take you on a 11 hour detour of the tarmac you are fu-diddly-ucked.
Besides, it’s completely unreasonable to expect that you can get off the airplane anytime you like. Obviously there is some point between no time and your natural life span where you should reasonably expect to get off the plane, but on demand exit, even while still on the ground, is ludicrous.
Seems to me the Warsaw Convention is somewhat vague on the subject of being kidnapped by an aircrew. I’m not entirely sure under who’s jurisdiction a plane is under before it reaches the taxiway or crosses the hold-short line. Frankly, I think anymore than 2 hours is too much. It’s all up to the airline. They choose to maintain their statistics in favor of passenger comfort and profit.
Personally, I would stage a revolt. After 3-4 hours, I’m not sure there would be much you could do to me to keep me from just opening the door. I’m not sure that a whole squadron of sky waitresses could hold me back, and I’m sure I could rally the remaining passengers. Even if there were an air marshal were on board, he’s only got enough bullets for the first 15 or so, and odds are he wouldn’t even draw down on people just wanting to get off the airplane.
Felony or not, it would be time to leave. No one you pay has the right to keep you where you don’t want to be. I think people are just apt to bitch and complain and not act because they have somewhere to be and just ‘don’t want trouble’. Me? I think one actual passenger uprising and we’d never see a delay like that again, unless there was something physically wrong with the plane.
Once you prove to people that they don’t have to put up with something, and give them to tools to effect their surroundings, they will, then it’s all over.
Anyone happen to know of any lawsuits against airlines for not letting passengers off the plane?
Obviously passengers can’t be held against their will indefinately, so it becomes a question of just how long is reasonable given the circumstances.
Yes, I know of one:
Abourezk v. New York Airline, Inc., 705 F. Supp. 656 (D.D.C. 1989). A guy was delayed on the tarmac for three hours. He sued for false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. He lost.
On false imprisonment…
A 2001 7.1 million class action settlement: Leaving Lasting Marks with Exceptional Websites
A lawyer named Jeffrey Sheldon making a subsequent run at it after being delayed-- I don’t know if he was successful or not: Family sues airline for being kept aboard diverted jet. Category: Features from The Berkeley Daily Planet