Relief for flight frustrations

Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed legislation that guarantees airline passengers on severely delayed flights out of New York airports are provided with basic customer protections. Long Island State Senator Charles Fuschillo announced Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights Thursday. Fuschillo says the measure protects passengers who are stranded on delayed planes at airports in New York State. The law requires all airlines at New York airports to provide snacks and water, fresh air and power, and working restrooms for passengers delayed on planes for more than three-hours. The law also creates an Office of Airline Consumer Advocate within the New York State Consumer Protection Board to provide the public with a New York State-based consumer advocate to help coordinate with appropriate airline industry officials in the event an incident occurs. The Airline Consumer Advocate will then refer any violations of the new law to the New York State Attorney General's Office, who can seek a penalty of up to one-thousand-dollars per passenger, per violation by an airline. This is in response to a number of airline delays due to inclement weather at New York's JFK's airport where passengers waited for hours with no food or water, overflowing toilets and a lack of ventilation.