Originally Posted by
FlyingUnderTheRadar
One statement that caught my eye "It was an hour until departure. Upon check-in at the counter ..." As much as I hate sitting at the airport there is a reason for being there 2-3 hours before departure especially when you are not in your home country. Screws do and will happen.
The way I read it, it was an hour until departure when the daughter talked to her parents, not when she arrived at the airport. It sounds like she had already spent some time at the counter checking her luggage, trying to check-in and talking with (or trying to talk with) Delta on the phone. I can imagine those activities easily taking an hour or so.