'It was just a nightmare': British Airways passengers stuck on Orlando tarmac for over 7 hours
ORLANDO, Fla. - Airplane passengers were stuck on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport for several hours because of severe weather.
Greater Orlando International Airport Authority officials said 39 flights were diverted into MCO on Monday due to severe weather, which left many planes full of passengers stuck on the tarmac waiting to get off. Passengers on a British Airways aircraft had to remain on the plane for 7 ½ hours.
The plane was diverted from Miami to Orlando due to severe weather on Monday.
There were also issues getting the passengers to a gate that could accommodate the double-deck international flight, according to airport officials – two gates were required to allow passengers to go through customs.
"I feel like I'm being held hostage on a plane. I mean, the airport is right there. If you can't get a gate, bring a mobile stairway out, something to get us off this plane," said Leslie Schlotfeld, a passenger stuck on the plane. "There were people laying on the floors trying to sleep, kids crying. It was just a nightmare," she continued.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation prohibits airlines from allowing domestic flights to sit on the tarmac for more than three hours, and for international flights, it's more than no more than four hours. However, if there's severe weather there is an exception.
The National Consumers League said there is not much a passenger can do concerning the weather, even though laws are in place to prevent passengers from spending hours on the tarmac.
"The sort of loophole that they can get around is when delays are due to issues beyond their control, or ‘acts of God’ is kind of the term, that they often use," said John Breyault with the National Consumers League.
The National Consumers League said if this happens to you, report it to the Department of Transportation. If the airline is determined to be in the wrong, the agency can hold the airline accountable. Secondly, the organization suggests you reach out to the airline itself to see if there is some kind of compensation for the delays, like miles or cash.