Flight Number... Please Wait, the Wheel is Still Spinning

[JayBird]

Date: December 15, 2000
Flight: 1557 from Columbus, OH (CMH) to Atlanta, GA (ATL)
Operated by: Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Equipment Type: B757
Issue: Late/Operational Issues

After arriving at the airport with plenty of time to spare, and the assurance of the automated flight system that this flight was departing on time, I had high hopes that my flight home after vacation would be uneventful. But this is Delta!

After checking my bags and having lunch, I headed over to the departure gate. The scheduled departure time of 13:10 was still on the board. Before I could sit down and get comfortable, however, the gate agent took the departure time off of the board and put up a sign that said simply "delayed". Here we go!

The new departure time she posted was 14:14 which I thought was a bit unusual, even for Delta. So I used my Palm VII to check the departure time via the automated system. It indicated the departure time was 14:17. So much for accurate information!

Within just a few minutes, another gate agent made an announcement that they had received an updated departure time of 13:40, and they posted that time. However, about five minutes (:05) later, a passenger service agent (aka red coat) made another announcement that the departure time had been changed to 13:45.

He went on to say that Delta folks in Atlanta were aware of the delay and they would be watching connecting flights, many of which would be delayed due to the bad weather in Atlanta. He said that connecting passengers would be backed up on later flights if possible.

Those of us that frequently fly Delta know what that really means. What a joke! Delta frequently blames weather even when there is irrefutable evidence that weather has nothing to do with some delays.

We started boarding at about 12:55, which is a sign that we might actually depart a little bit sooner than 13:45. The captain was greeting boarding passengers at the door. Due to a traffic jam on the plane I had a moment or two to chat with him. Nice guy. I asked him if he was an Air Force or Navy pilot. He answered that both pilots were Air Force and asked me if I preferred Navy pilots. I do, actually. Why I do is based on the knowledge I gained from my years in the Navy. Besides, there was a recent event in the news involving an Air Force pilot.

Now that we are airborne let's take a look at the chain of events that got us here. We sat on the taxiway for about an hour. We could use electronic devices, or not. Depends on who said what when. The pilot said yes and the onboard leader said no. When I asked her for clarification she told me the pilot said he wanted them off because we were getting ready for takeoff. Not according to the pilot who announced we weren't expected to takeoff for another twenty minutes (:20).

The first officer welcomed us aboard (third time from somebody) as we neared takeoff. However, he welcomed us aboard Delta flight 1610. I asked the onboard leader to ask the space cadet if we were on flight 1610 or flight 1557. She replied that this was flight 1557.

Thanks, but I wanted to make sure HE knew that. It might present a problem if he gave erroneous information to an air traffic controller. We finally took off at about 14:35. One hour and twenty-five minutes (1:25) late. Not a record for Delta but a disappointment when flying home on a Friday afternoon. Did I mention I think DELTA REALLY SUCKS?