sent home, he said, for flights arriving after midnight there is usually one terminal available, which is always staffed with customs officers. whatever the cause, what about that airline passenger bill of rights that's supposed to limit how much time passengers can sit on a tarmac? well, it turns out there are exceptions. the rules don't apply if there are safety or security reasons passengers should stay on the plane. and if the flight is operated by an international carrier, the rules don't apply at all. but right now holiday travelers continue to suffer. i sat down with this family, dad, max, and his children, 15-year-old emily and 13-year-old nicholas, were all on that cathay flight from hell. max, let's start with you. you were on the tarmac at jfk for, what, 11 hours? plus the flight time which was more than five hours. so, really, almost 17 hours. >> that's right. >> on an airplane. what was the mood like on that