Qantas Passengers Trapped On Plane for 24 Hours...

... and the airline has rules about crew shift lengths, so they rotated the cabin crew at the end of shift.

From Stuff.co.nz.

Now let me give you all an idea of what a red-blooded American MAN does in a situation like this:

1) Proceed to an exit aisle
2) Turn the big handle on the door
3) Kick the door open
4) Wait for the slide to deploy
5) Say "WHEEEEeeeeeee" going down the slide
6) Walk to the terminal and get a rental car (try to avoid the police, who will be unhappy with you)
7) Spend the night in a hotel room
8) Sue the airline for false imprisonment if you're feeling froggy. Try to get your face in front of a camera for the nightly news.

My timeline goes something like this: 1 hour delayed, irritated. 2 hours, the airline has a choice: tell me we are taking off in the next hour (and do it), or refer to the above sequence of steps.

Sure it would be a bit complicated what with the police and airline all upset at you, but what's better: stuck in an airplane for a day or a jail cell for a night and being declared the flying travellers' hero? I bet it would only take one person down the slide, to trigger about half the plane going down the slide in the next 5-10 minutes.

Do that a few times and the airlines will start to get the hint, people.

[deleted] flying. I'm driving.