Angry Airline Passengers Speak Out On Capitol Hill September 22nd!

INVITATION AND SURVEY FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT TO PROMOTE AIRLINE PASSENGERS RIGHTS EVER!

Dear FlyersRights.org Member,

I hope this note finds you well! I would like to invite you to participate in a timely AND important consumer and travel industry event in Washington, DC. Given your experience with the airline industry, you would no doubt have a big impact on the proceedings. Also, you may participate in the proceedings if you were a stranding victim and have a great story to tell and want to tell it to the people who make decisions in our Capital.

On Tuesday morning, September 22, 2009 between 8 am and 12 pm consumer and travel industry groups will conduct a Stakeholder Hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building regarding airline passenger rights; specifically the issue of extended ground delays.

Legislative prescriptions are currently included in FAA reauthorization bills in the House and in the Senate, whose version would allow passengers to disembark after three hours of delay, should a captain determine it is reasonable and safe to do so. As you know the House bill does not contain any details in its request for contingency plans that would require airlines allow passengers off at a specific time and leaves it to the airlines to decide how long they might hold passengers on the tarmac. However, the Senate bill is picture perfect with a clear timeframe that's mandatory. What's more the bill requires airlines to provide for passengers' basic human needs at all times on the tarmac. Plus, many more provisions not found in the House legislation are in the Senate version. We need your support badly at this hearing.

We are going to open up the hearing with a 60 minute Congressional Roundtable Discussion among 6 Senators and Representatives who have either sponsored passenger rights legislation, or who are opposed to it. This is why having as many actual victims there to both watch, and participate in the discussion is so important.

The role I hope you accept is as a victim representative. A link to the event for you to register is: http://stakeholderhearing.eventbrite.com. Next week I will send you a backgrounder and detailed description of the hearing. For now just know that we will have the participation of Senators, Congressmen, media, celebrity moderators, and this will be the most robust and meaningful hearing ever done for passengers rights. It's YOUR chance to be heard.

Also we are conducting a survey that we need you to participate in. It only takes 5 minutes and it's very valuable for us with our media partners to be able to show how many people support this vital legislation. Please take a little and complete the online survey at http://surveymonkey.twi.bz/i

Thank you for your ongoing support!

Best,

Kate Hanni
Executive Director
FlyersRights.org
kate@flyersrights.org
707-337-0328