Trapped on a Plane? Court Says Deal With It

A court has thrown out a lawsuit brought against American Airlines by a woman who was stranded for 9-1/2 hours on the tarmac in Austin, Texas, in 2006.

A woman whose lawsuit against American Airlines was dismissed has vowed to appeal saying she was unfairly trapped on a plane for many hours.

(ABC News Photo Illustration)

In dismissing the case, US District Judge Robert Dawson said airlines are not legally bound to provide a "stress-free environment" when such a delay occurs.

But Catherine Ray, who brought the lawsuit that charged false imprisonment, isn't giving up the fight. She's filing a motion for the judge to reconsider the case, and if that fails, she plans to appeal.

"It's just unjust -- the thought that an airline can do that to a person and get away with it," says the Fayetteville, Ark., woman.

Weather delays were behind the 2006 incident, and a number of other planes were stranded for eight hours or more. Two other lawsuits stemming from those delays are pending -- one in California and one in Alabama.

Related

Airline Passenger Rights Just Got Worse

The Top 5 Worst Travel-Related Infections

Cheaper Than Eating Out: A Cross-Country Flight

In part because of the 2006 strandings, consumer groups have been pushing for federal legislation that outlines passengers' rights during lengthy tarmac delays. The dismissal of Ms. Ray's lawsuit makes it even more important for Congress to act, the consumer groups say.

"The bottom line is that if passengers can't get relief from the courts, we have to have Congress step in," says Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org. She brought the lawsuit that is pending in California.

One of the bills pending in Congress would require airlines to let passengers off the plane after a three-hour tarmac delay. But the airlines and some airline analysts say such a requirement could cause even more passenger inconvenience by increasing the number of cancellations and creating even longer delays. That's because once a plane goes back to the gate, it loses its place in the line for takeoffs.

Ms. Hanni and others believe this can be remedied if the airlines provide buses to passengers stranded on the tarmac. That way, they could get off without the aircraft losing its place in line.

"We're working with Congress on a compromise," she says.