Airline traveler Tamara Brown says, "You're in a confined space, so you can imagine it's kind of a torturous experience."
Passengers stuck on a plane for hours on the tarmac, waiting to take off. Often times trapped, with no food and little explanation.
Passenger rights advocate Kate Hanni with FlyersRights.Org says it's about time airlines take responsibility.
"Airline passengers have less rights than prisoners of war under the Geneva conventions," she says.
A new Department of Transportation rule is trying to change that. Starting April 29, airlines will not be allowed to keep passengers on grounded planes for more than three hours, unless it's a safety or security concern. In addition, airlines will have to give passengers food and water after two hours.
Airline traveler Ken Younce says, "I think something needed to be done because of the horror stories of people being stranded on the tarmac."
Airlines that violate the rule could have to fork over $27,500 per passenger, which could add up to a nearly $4 million fine for a full flight.
The secretary for transportation says enough is enough.
"We felt it was incumbent upon us to pay attention to passengers," Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood says.
However, some airline industry experts say the new rule could pose some unintended consequences.
Air Travelers Association President David Stempler explains, "The thing we don't like about this rule is it puts subtle pressure on pilots to take off when maybe they shouldn't."
Some airlines tried to challenge the new rule saying an exemption should be made for congested airports like New York's JFK or at Philadelphia International. Those requests were denied.
