Just when you thought the indignity of air travel couldn’t get any worse, it does. During last week’s snow and ice storms, more than 1,000 passengers on at least 10 flights were held captive on the tarmac in jetliners that, for one reason or another, weren’t going anywhere. One flight sat on the runway for 11 hours. Another plane in an hours-long delay was within walking distance of the terminal; passengers were not allowed to deplane. One of those jets — its brakes frozen and passengers sealed inside, sat at Pittsburgh International Airport for five hours. Toilets overflowed on some flights. Food• Snacks only. Water• In limited supply. Airflow• Stagnant. Tempers• Hot. Flight attendants on one plane reportedly joked about the overtime they would make. And after some passengers did deplane, they complained of that arrogant attitude that just about every air traveler has experienced: “What, you want us to help you ?” Most of the problems were on JetBlue flights. One was a Delta flight. Passengers were offered compensation once they either were finally allowed off or completed their flights. But no one should have been subjected to such abuse in the first place. Some say this is the best argument yet for an “airline passengers’ bill of rights.” But passengers already have the power to punish such failures of management and common decency: never again patronize the airline that so disserved them.

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