Current Events > Passengers trapped on plane for 7 hours. No food, no water, no AC

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https://www.cbs7.com/2023/08/04/passengers-were-stuck-plane-7-hours-with-no-air-conditioning-no-food-or-water-provided-woman-says/

Seven hours in unbearable heat, with no food or water available: Thats how one Connecticut woman is describing her experience with a delayed international flight that ended up being canceled.
Now the U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating.
In a TikTok that has since gone viral, critical care nurse Christine Ieronimo is heard telling a United Airlines worker about the experience she and hundreds of other passengers just went through.
The girl had a panic attack and passed out. We had elderly people, we had babies. We had pregnant women, not even water. You didnt even pass around water, says Ieronimo.
Ieronimo and the passengers are seen in the video standing at their gate in Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Their flight was delayed for seven hours, canceled at 1 a.m.
The passengers tell the worker, We were trapped on that plane for 7 hours in 70-80 plus heat.
It was hot, thick. It was hard to breathe, says Ieronimo. Im surprised somebody didnt die because there were elderly people on the plane.
The passengers were headed to Rome on an overnight flight July 3 when shortly after being seated, things started to go wrong.
We noticed it was getting hot. The air conditioning wasnt working, said Ieronimo.
The plane headed back to the gates, mechanics jumped on, and the problem seemed to be fixed.
But then, as they waited to take off., It started getting hot again, said Ieronimo.
Thats when Ieronimo says the captain announced the plane was going back to the gate and theyd be getting off, a process that took over three hours.
People were taking off their shirts, and women were in sports bras, it was just so hot. It became unbearable and there was no ventilation, said Ieronimo.
The biggest shock for Ieronimo?
During the seven hours, nothing was ever offered. Nobody even offered water, she said. What do you want me to do? was the exact quote I got from one of the flight attendants.
Ieronimo said she watched elderly people sweat, a baby was crying, and a young girl almost passed out.
She must have had a panic attack. And she was vomiting, said Ieronimo.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Airlines must provide passengers with food and water no later than two hours after the tarmac delay begins.
And even United policy claims, United will provide adequate food and potable water no later than two hours after the start of the tarmac delay, unless the pilot-in-command determines that safety or security considerations preclude such service.
United Airlines hasnt responded to questions about what happened and what compensation is available for passengers.
If the CEO - Scott Kirbys parents were on that plane, would he have done something? said Ieronimo.
Ieronimo said passengers were left in the airport, with no accommodations or food -- and a canceled flight.
A link United said passengers could click on for help wasnt working. Thats what sparked the conversation that later went viral.
Ieronimo said her family eventually found rooms and were able to book new flights for the next day at their own expense, which added up to $4,000.
Uniteds offer of compensation? Vouchers worth $400.
She now has a message for Uniteds CEO.
I think he needs to figure out how he is going to compensate all of us because it was a pretty horrific experience, said Ieronimo.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Transportation said in part: The Department takes any violation of airlines tarmac delay obligations very seriously and is investigating the referenced incident involving United.

I bet it was way hotter than 80 something inside that plane.

Sat on the tarmac for like 30 minutes when I was leaving Kuwait and the AC wasn't on and that mf got toasty. It was also like 110F out, though so how fast it got hot was exacerbated.

Still, until we start actually punishing the company leadership, none of this will change.

United should have been tripping over themselves to offer substantial vouchers. $400 for people going to fucking Rome. What a mother fucking joke. Even if they were flying to Rome, GA that's a fucking joke.

honestly, i'd wait 30 minutes. And then use the emergency exit

I'd give it about an hour, then I'd be threatening to call a lawyer if we're not let off.

1-2 hours, then I kick open the e. exit.

can't believe no one died, shows how much power airlines have that they wouldn't give a shit if passengers die due to negligence

Seriously, about 1 hour. I'd start exploring every option to get off after that.

That shit will kill people. There had better be some lawsuits after that.

Hope they get sued for putting people through that.

Trapped? They really should have just gotten up and left the jet.

And no, thats not against the law.

At some point, someone should have just opened the emergency exit door or something

Wonder why everyone on CE would have caused a fuss and/or used the emergency exit within a few hours but nobody on the plane did in this case.

If it's so hot people are stripping off clothing, I'd probably go full Karen by the half hour mark. I hate heat as it is, no fucking way am I going to suffer on an indefinite basis.

I would have kicked the Emergency Exit open after an hour.

I've had to wait before on a plane for about an hour. It wasnt so bad. Planes are delayed all the time. But yea.... Approaching the 2nd hour mark.... I'd definitely start making some kinda fuss. No way I'd let it go on for 7 hours

Wait, in all seriousness, why didnt they just leave? Is there some kind of rule or law forbidding it or something? Ida peaced the F out.

https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/tarmac-delays

• For flights departing from a U.S. airport, airlines are required to begin to move the airplane to a location where passengers can safely get off before 3 hours for domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights.

The airline needs to be made an example of here.

KainWind posted...

Wonder why everyone on CE would have caused a fuss and/or used the emergency exit within a few hours but nobody on the plane did in this case.

Probably the flight crew stringing them along the whole time "just another hour or so to sort this out, please be patient" x7

The compensation offered is pure insult considering how much one could stand to lose having their travel itinerary disrupted to that extent.

1 hour would be my limit if they're not passing out water

70 to 80 degrees is unbearable heat?

chitown82 posted...

70 to 80 degrees is unbearable heat?

70 to 80 degrees is about 100 inside of non air conditioned jet with dozens of people and all of the aircrafts electronics running.

Ive spent the last 16 years working heavy aircraft where they wouldnt let us turn on the AC in the jet.

1hr and I'm starting a scene.

chitown82 posted...

70 to 80 degrees is unbearable heat?

It works pretty similarly to cars. The temperature inside gets much higher than the temperature outside. This picture is for cars, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what these passengers were dealing with:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/1/2/AAQgjdAAEuto.jpg

why didnt they use the emergency exit

they got the texas construction worker experience, without, y'know, having to do construction. lucky them.

United has always been a trash airline, probably worse than Spirit Airlines. Surprised they're still in business.

Waxitron_Gazer posted...

they got the texas construction worker experience, without, y'know, having to do construction. lucky them.

Cant tell if Im reading this wrong or if this post is as stupid as I think it is.

I voted 8+, but I missed the unbearable heat part. Maybe a few hours.

I smell a lawsuit coming.

@Zeeak4444
do i need to break it down for you or would /s have helped you

RISEofCHRISTIAN posted...

United has always been a trash airline, probably worse than Spirit Airlines. Surprised they're still in business.

I had a very bad experience flying with them once. Never gave them a second chance.

Sansoldier posted...

I voted 8+, but I missed the unbearable heat part. Maybe a few hours.

No worries about claustrophobia, food etc.?

My only experience with United is the first time I flew back from Kuwait, but not the time we spent 30 minutes on the tarmac without AC

Why the fuck did they not de-board sooner? I was recently on an American flight that had power issues that caused a delay. We waited for about an hour with no A/C and at least the attendants were handing out water. After an hour they de-boarded and the flight was delayed another 3 hours while they kept people near the terminal / around the airport.

That was a shit experience but this is on another level.

Yeah after an hour or two, I'm outta there if the heat was that unbearable. Especially if I had vunerable family members on-board, fuck that.

chitown82 posted...

70 to 80 degrees is unbearable heat?

Sit in a closed metal shed with outside air temp that high and let us know how many minutes you last.

Waxitron_Gazer posted...

@Zeeak4444
do i need to break it down for you or would /s have helped you

my bad, just saying Ive seen plenty of construction and roofers that have said stuff like this to me. Poes law and all that

law says after 4 hours on the tarmac you have to let ppl out

Zeeak4444 posted...

Poes law and all that

Damn that Poe and his immutable laws!

Sue the dummies for false imprisonment

Fuck that, Executive Decision to get off that fuckin plane right away.

Someone's getting sued

Robot2600 posted...

law says after 4 hours on the tarmac you have to let ppl out

It's bullshit the law even allows for 4 hours of that torture.

Ok this is something it's perfectly fair to be mad at.

why didn't they all got up and either try to leave, i would love to see what the airplane staff or the airport company would do against so many angry people
in other countries people would complain loudly or riot, people in the US seem very sheep like at times

Has anyone actually answered why the passengers couldnt just leave? Idve been like fuck this, Im out

I haven't been on a plane since 2010. But stories like this make me happy I don't fly anymore. It seems like airlines have gone insane over the past decade

Oh I am milking the shit out of it and ensuring my lawsuit is as profitable as possible.

Someone call Legal Eagle see if there's a legit case here.