3 Comments »

1. As the original poster of the question, something showed up online a few days after I asked that made me wonder, even though I know no to show up on time despite any information saying that a flight is delayed. Trust me Rick, I listen to you. However, according to United’s customer committment, which, as far as I can tell, posted on their site a few months ago, the following point is offered under the section “Notify Customers of Known Delays, Cancellations and Diversions”:

   Given that customers may choose to leave the gate area once a delayed departure time is announced, it is our policy that a delayed flight will not leave the gate prior to the revised departure time, even if an earlier departure is possible. However, if all customers who are checked in for the delayed flight are onboard the aircraft, an earlier departure may be considered

   I will still be there on time no matter what, but how does the above statement figure in?

   Comment by Elliot Campbell — November 28, 2007 @ 10:49 pm

2. I have been left behind by Southwest before. I got to the gate and saw that there was a one hour delay posted. I went to grab a bite and do some work. When I went back to the gate 30 minutes before the posted delayed departure time I was told the flight had already left. It seems they found a different plane and actually took off only 5 minutes late. Southwest took care of getting me on the next flight which ended up getting me to my destination one hour late.

   Comment by Roger Fender — November 29, 2007 @ 12:40 am

3. I was recently on one of the “one-hour delays that turns into five-hours” flights the Tuesday before Thanksgiving on AA from DFW to LaGuardia. When we arrived for our connection at DFW the board showed we would be delayed 1 hour & 15 minutes. There were four or five other flights, scheduled both before and after ours that were delayed by similar amounts. We were told it was “air traffic control” at LaGuardia, even though NYC was experiencing beautiful weather. About an hour before expected departure, we were informed of a gate change, in a different terminal. Our flight was never again listed on the departure board. Lo & behold, the other flights were suddenly “on time” again. It was obvious we were on the “sacrificial flight” which was delayed indefinitely so all the other flights could be switched to different equipment and depart as scheduled. Over the next four hours we were subjected to additional delays and then the entire litany of explanations for the delays (was it really a surprise the flight crew had “timed out”?) I guess we were really fortunate we were delayed, because it took three hours to discover the “mechanical problem”.

   The point is, the airline decided to delay one flight to get the rest back on schedule. Unfortunately, we were on the “garbage” flight. I kept kicking myself for not being more aggressive and going stand-by on an alternative, but you never know if you might be transferring to the “flight of doom”. It’s also an explanation of how delayed flights can suddenly return to “on time” status.

   Comment by S. Glenn — November 29, 2007 @ 10:38 am

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