Nice Compensation

After heroic piloting by Captain Sullenberger on US Airways Flight 1549, saving everyone on board, I have to say I'm impressed with their crews. Then, according to CNN, US Airways proceeded to show real character with their next move:

"U.S. Airways has sent a check for $5,000 to each passenger who was on the plane that crashed in the Hudson River last week, saying it will be months before they receive any of their possessions that were on the plane and are recoverable."

They obviously have to do an investigation and keep passenger's belongings for a time, if they can be recovered at all. But, what a nice way to compensate them after a really frightening experience as well. With 150 passengers on board, this amounts to a pretty large price tag for the airlines ($750,000 to be exact).

Quite unlike Spirit Airlines, who had tried to charge two passengers $90 cancellation fees when they didn't use the return leg of their trip - because they were in a plane crash! It should be noted that they were also on Flight 1549 because Spirit canceled their trip in the first place.

On the other hand, US Airways not only had a well-trained pilot and crew who handled a crisis in the best way possible, but handled the whole situation with real class.