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Progressive Travel: Canada Launches Passenger Bill of Rights

If you're gonna get locked inside a plane that's endlessly delayed on the taxiway, better do it in Canada. The country has just launched Flight Rights Canada, a new sort of passenger bill of rights for everyone using a carrier based in the country.

Included are earth-shatteringly sensible provisions like "Passengers have a right to take the flight they paid for" and "Passengers have a right to information on flight times and schedule changes."

The new rules even cover what happens if you get trapped on the plane:

If the passenger is already on the aircraft when a delay occurs, the airline will offer drinks and snacks if it is safe, practical and timely to do so. If the delay exceeds 90 minutes and circumstances permit, the airline will offer passengers the option of disembarking from the aircraft until it is time to depart.

Funny, we seem to remember taxiing around JFK one time for about 90 minutes--and that wasn't even a delayed flight.

Related Stories:
· Announcement of Flight Rights Canada [Official Site]
· Power to the Passenger [The Economist]
· Passengers in Argentina Not Calmly Asking for "Bill of Rights" [Jaunted]

[Photo: preciouskhyatt]