Friday, January 30, 2009

US AIRWAYS NY Fallout; NY POST And Passengers: 'Not Enough'


The "Miracle on the Hudson"; US Airways Airbus320 that crash-landed on the Hudson river, with all 150 passengers and flight crew, including hero-Pilot C.B. Sully Sullenberger, making it out alive, was thought to be a universal feel-good story.


Not so fast, says the NY POST, and some of the passengers.


The Post's Ana Maria Alaya wrote a headline story lambasting US Airways for having the gall to offer each passenger $5000 and noted the CEO of the company sent a raft of "frigid" letters to the 150 passengers of Miracle flight 1549 saying that their death-defying ordeal has earned them top customer status, "but just for one year."


Mr. Sullenberger has been hailed world-wide as a modern-day hero; had a civic ceremony and key to the city in his native Danville, Calif., and will be honored at this Sunday's Super Bowl.


But all the goodwill has suddenly hit free fall. Some passengers are calling lawyers and a few are saying that US Airways $5000 check is not enough.


NY's Tess Sosa, who escaped the sinking plane with her husband and 2 small children, thought the airline was too focused on self-congratulations, and--"they want to exonerate themselves as much as they can."


What?!


A Personal Note:


I don't have any stock in US Airways. I have never worked for the company. I have flown on their jets exactly 2 times. In other words, I have no vested interest in the affairs of this airliner, but if I was one of the 155 on board that jet and survived, the last thing on my mind would be calling a lawyer. Call me crazy. And the 5 grand? Jackpot!


What's the Post fishing for? (no pun intended) And what happened to a great, old-fashioned, "feel-good" story in an era when we all need it? Only in NY.


Rich Lieberman
The 'Rich Lieberman Report'
1-30-'09
9:53 AM PST






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