If the airlines start getting a little outside competition and there’s even more jets sitting in that desert graveyard in Arizona, they’ll change their tune. And those who think that the federal government shouldn’t be in the business of subsidizing rail travel conveniently forget that lucrative contracts to carry U.S. Post Office Air Mail kept the airlines afloat in the early decades of this century. In fact, it wasn’t until the mid-thirties that they actually started making more money carrying passengers than mail.

Okay, I’m down off the soapbox. But it’s amazing how many people never even consider taking the train, under any circumstances.

The Coalition, represented by Kate Hanni, was there for the hearing, and it was clear that the airlines have a Callous Disregard for the Airline Passengers that buy their tickets on their airlines expecting basic human needs to be met, and a certain level of dignity, which is rarely if ever provided during long on ground delays.

“The Coalition hopes that other states move quickly to adopt similar Health and Safety measures to provide airline passengers’ basic needs, and moreover that this will pressure the Federal Government and Congress into finally acting on behalf of the flying public that elected them!” Stated Kate Hanni, Founder

“The Coalition for an airline passengers’ Bill of Rights may now claim it’s first victory for passengers’….but we have a long road ahead for uniform standards throughout the United States to protect the flying public.”