20/20 Friday: 'Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity'
20/20 Friday: Challenging common assumptions about travel.
Dec. 10, 2007 — -- When preparing for festive holiday traditions, despite the anticipation of delicious food, family gatherings and meaningful traditions, thousands of people this season will also focus on a much more mundane topic: travel arrangements. There are airline reservations to make, hotel rooms to book — perhaps you're even planning a long drive.
But be careful, because many common assumptions about traveling are nothing but myths. This week, "20/20" examines several different travel myths that could change the way you think about airline travel, lost luggage, and much more.
Watch "Travel: Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity" Friday on "20/20" at 10 p.m. ET
How many times have you sprinted through the airport, hoping you're not too late for your flight? When you finally board and buckle your seat belt, you are all set, right? ABC's Sam Champion shows how on-time departure claims can be misleading, because airlines routinely count flights as on time, even if a plane doesn't get off the ground for hours.
Last December, Kate Hanni's family vacation got off to a bumpy start when her flight from San Francisco to Dallas was diverted to Austin, Texas. Hanni's flight was stuck on the tarmac for nine hours and 17 minutes. The toilets overflowed, and there was barely any food and drinks.
After Hanni's onboard nightmare, she was so outraged, she left her job as a real estate agent to fight full time for passenger rights. Hanni has become a repository of airline complaints, receiving 70 calls a day on her hot line from unsatisfied passengers, reporting trouble on the tarmac. Now, she is trying to get a law passed in Congress to limit the time passengers can be held on a plane to no more than three hours.
Related Stories
ABC News Live