Informed answers only please. Can airlines keep you prisoner on their aircraft. ? ?

Question

If for whatever reason(of which there are many) you decide you wish to leave the plane can the crew legally restrain you from disembarking? Reasons for wishing to leave the aircraft could include, after delays as a result of "technical problems"your confidence in the airline's competence in maintaining the aircraft in an airworthy condition may have been eroded,(why did they only discover the problem after the boarding procedure) an announcement that there will be a 3 hour delay in take off due to, "whatever" reason. Anyway,if for good sound reasons you wish, or need to disembark under what law does the airline have the legal right to imprison you against your will?

Answer 1

If for some reason you are allowed of the plane(which you wont), you have to consider the fact that your baggage is in the hold and by you getting off the plane they have to by law remove your baggage also, Now that can take up to an hour or more (just to find your baggage) right? This ALL adds to the flight delay and then the airline has to Pay for a new slot for take off.. so please be considerate and take a ship next time you want to fly

Answer 2

This is a really interesting question to me.  And over the past ten years or so has been becoming a hotter and hotter topic in the industry.  The true legality of forcing passengers to remain onbooard an aircraft really seems to be a slippery slope.  When I first started working in the industry, I remember we were told that if a person demands to be let off the plane, we had to comply.  In theory, great idea.  In practice, never saw it happen once.  I won't go into a long diatribe trying to defend the airlines, there are situations that are indefensible.  There are situations that are truly mechanical things.  Many times boarding commences prior to the pre flight checklist being completed.

Can the crew restrain you from disembarking?  If we are speaking of being at the gate, absolutely not.  The only time the crew has the right or responsibility to restrain a passenger is when that passenger is posing a threat to the safety of the crew or aircraft (or other passengers).  If the plane is stranded on the runway, things change.  Once that plane shuts its doors and pushes back, it is under the control of the captain.  Barring any medical emergencies, most captains will decline to go back to the gate and release a passenger.  Is it legal?  Under my understanding...not really.  But it happens every day, and will continue to happen too.

Answer 3

You've got it backwards. You seem to be asking for the "right" to hold EVERYONE ELSE prisoner on the ground while your whims are accomodated.

Answer 4

If you're still at the gate, and they're fixing the aircraft and you start to have misgivings about the whole thing, just get off. Once they've pushed back, you've got to convince them that you're a complete nutter, have a panic attack, or something else to convince them that you're in a REALLY sorry state. Believe me, the crew would rather leave a nut case behind rather than keep him for a two hour flight.

As far as the Spanair flight is concerned, the cause has not been determined yet. It's all a bunch of empty speculation in the press. The crash may have had nothing at all to do with whatever the mechanical problem was. On the other hand, the maintenance guys may have fixed the original problem, but in their hurry to get the trip out they may have overlooked something and caused a greater problem than what originally existed. When we find out the truth of the matter it'll be 7-10 months later and most folks will have forgotten all about it.

Answer 5

If they feel you pose a threat to yourself or the other passengers and crew then I feel they have that right, Well , I really hope they have.

Answer 6

Sorry, but once you board an aircraft, it is the captain who decides if you should be let off - Unless you are suffering from a heart attack, chances are you are indeed held like a " prisoner " -  

Answer 7

If you have any additional questions, please see the Safety Briefing Card in the seat back pocket in front of you, or ask your flight attendant.

Answer 8

If you have commited a crime, or they feel you are a threat to yourself/others then yes they can detain you (for example if you wished to leave the flight when it was 10,000 feet in the air.... that might present a problem for them)

However, if you simply want to leave the flight because of delays etc then they have no right to stop you and it would be a breach of the human rights act for them to do so.

However, you need to fully inform them of your wishes so that they can do what is neccessary to allow you to leave safely. For example, if the planes engines are starting up they would have to be turned off before you can leave the plane... they may also for security reason have to call someone to escort you back to the airport.