COMING AND GOING
One Good Deed

Sunday, August 19, 2007

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
One Good Deed

Jean Minahan of Arlington wasn't really miffed when her recent Southwest flight from Las Vegas to Dulles boarded 20 minutes late, or when it was delayed 40 minutes more by bad weather. Her anger came after the plane landed at midnight, then had to sit on the tarmac for more than an hour because only two Southwest gates were staffed and five other planes were ahead of her flight.

Minahan wrote a letter of complaint to Southwest and sent an e-mail to CoGo. But before CoGo had a chance to query Southwest officials about why they hadn't been prepared to receive passengers at Dulles in the wee hours, Minahan sent a second e-mail: She had received a letter of apology from Southwest. It was clear the airline had mailed the apology before her letter of complaint was received, and the envelope included a voucher for a future trip.

When man bites dog, it's news. Kudos, Southwest.

CONSUMER RIGHTS
The Longest Wait

If you've ever flown 14 or more hours from far-flung parts of the globe, you'll remember how eager you were to get off the plane after landing. That might help you imagine the anger of passengers who are asking Kate Hanni -- founder of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights -- whom they can sue after the fiasco at Los Angeles International Airport last week.

She's referring them to an aviation attorney, but CoGo isn't betting anyone will get far in a court of law suing over long waits caused by the crash of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) computers.

The incident and resulting press might, however, help Hanni in her quest for rules requiring the government to keep records of long waits on the tarmac. The lack of a reporting requirement means that regulators don't know how long last week's waits extended. CBP spokesman Mike Fleming said he interviewed people from three flights and found waits of up to six hours. Hanni suspects some of the 17,000 to 20,000 passengers waited as much as 12 hours on international flights that arrived while computers were down.

The Passengers' Bill of Rights being pushed by Hanni's group would require that passengers be given the option of getting off a plane that has sat for more than three hours.

But passengers couldn't be offloaded at LAX last week because the federal inspection area was at capacity, Fleming said. Authorities considered busing passengers to area high schools, he said, but that turned out "not to be a viable option." Instead, authorities authorized the delivery of supplies to waiting planes because "at least people had water, food and a place to sit."

The response, said Hanni, represented "a mini-Katrina performance of incompetence and insensitivity."

Paul Hudson of the Aviation Consumer Project says that plenty of gates were available to offload passengers and that authorities should have secured additional areas for passengers awaiting processing. "My guess is it was just more convenient for them to imprison people in the aircraft," he said.

On Sept. 19 in Washington, Hanni's group will erect a tent the size, shape and color of a commercial jet. It will pipe in the sound of crying babies and install smelly port-a-potties. Members of Congress not convinced they should pass a bill limiting waiting times in planes will be invited to spend an hour inside.

TRAVEL TICKER

China has doubled, to $100, the price of a single-entry tourist visa for Americans. Although you don't need a visa to visit Hong Kong or Macau, you will need a double-entry visa if you're planning side trips to those islands and a return to the mainland. There is no extra charge, however, for a double-entry visa. Washington area travelers can apply in person at the visa office of the Chinese Embassy (202-338-6688). . . . Louis Gossett Jr., LL Cool J and gospel singer Yolanda Adams will entertain at the Virginia Black Expo Aug. 23-25 at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. Exhibitions and workshops are among other offerings. Fee: $10. Details: 800-419-2417, http://www.blackpagesusa.com..

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

Southwest is holding a systemwide sale, with one-way fares from $49 to $109 (plus taxes) for Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday travel, and one-way fares from $49 to $169 (plus taxes) for other days. For example, fly nonstop from BWI to Los Angeles starting at $231 round trip, including $21 taxes; other airlines are matching, but fare is typically about $303. Travel Aug. 28-Jan. 11; for Florida destinations, complete travel by Oct. 3. Purchase at www.southwest.com by Aug. 23; 14-day advance purchase required.

Reporting: Cindy Loose, Anne McDonough

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news to cogo@washpost.com. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.