By Everett Potter
There are tarmac delays and then there are tarmac delays—just ask the Air Canada passengers who sat on a Vancouver runway for 12 hours a couple years ago. Food and water were rationed, and the cabin air was stifling. Even more torturous, the footbridge was still connected to the gate. Yet the airline refused to let passengers off the plane, blaming a combination of weather, fuel, and crew issues.
Fortunately, new DOT rules about tarmac delays went into effect in May, 2010. And yes, things have gotten better. But before those rules came into play, there were some legendary tarmac delays. Read more in my new Travel + Leisure story …
