According to today’s NPR report, airline passengers in the United States now have an exit option as a result of prolonged delays on the tarmac.

Last November, we blogged about a European law that would provide refunds to European airline passengers in the event their flights were delayed more than 3 hours. (original story can be found here)

Passengers in the USA shouldn’t get too excited, however, as the U.S. federal government has not decided to copy the European law.

Instead, airline passengers in the USA can be on the lookout for the new “tarmac rule.” Airlines will now be required to give passengers the OPTION to exit the plane if it is still on tarmac for 3 hours after leaving the gate. In addition, beverages and snacks must be made available to passengers after 2 hours on the tarmac, and the lavatory must be operational.

If an airline fails to meet the deadline they can face hefty fines – to the tune of $27,500 per passenger.

A link to the full NPR story can be found here.