There are times when you have the right and times when you must sit down and wait. According to the US Department of Transportation, there are rules in place that US airlines must abide by. If you are on a domestic flight the airline can hold you for no more then three hours and international flights for hours unless there is a safety issue. If you have been waiting in your seat with the same view of the tarmac for two hours the airline must provide food, water, and a lavatory.  In the United States if you have been waiting for three hours you must be given the option to get off. You may not see your checked bag for a while and may find it hard to book another flight, but you will be free of the same seat you have been waiting in for hours. Passengers who choose to leave a plane that has been delayed may not be allowed back on and is then responsible for finding another flight. If you are outside the USA there is still hope to escape a flight stuck on the tarmac, but you must wait four hours to be given the option to deplane and the same issues arise only on an international setting. Trying to track down baggage and book a new flight in a foreign land and losing the money on the flight you just walked off of are just a few headaches involved. These lengthy tarmac delays aren’t the norm, but it is always good to know what options and rights as a passenger you have.