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Airport Hell

Passengers in Argentina Not Calmly Asking for "Bill of Rights"

January 14, 2008 at 10:04 AM | 1 Comment

While we dawdle around in the US, asking if the airlines would please, maybe, hopefully sorta respect us, passengers in Buenos Aires are letting Aerolineas Argentinas know exactly how they feel. As labor conflicts wear on, delays and cancellations have stranded passengers expressing their feelings by smashing computers and offices while hurling soda cans at weary airline employees.

Thousands of passengers have been stranded at Ministro Pistarini International since Friday when the trouble started. Some news reports blame baggage handlers and pilots for the flight cancellations, though the pilots union says it's members are ready to fly. Passengers suspect that Aerolineas Argentinas is overbooking flights.

It'll take at least another epic summer of delays in the States before we see this kind of rioting at JFK--though it might be the kind of drastic action we need to get our airlines working again. ¡Viva la revolución!

Related Stories:
· Stranded Travelers Riot at Argentine Airport [Gadling]
· Argentine Flight Delays Spark Passenger Violence [Reuters]
· Airport Hell coverage [Jaunted]