Executive Summary: Don't trust any information that DL gives you by phone or by e-mail with regard to near-term departure delays, and revised departure times.

(I know that there is an earlier thread on this topic, but this probably bears repeating for newer members. I did search, and I would welcome anyone to show me a set of search terms that finds the earlier thread.)

Anyway... got into ATL today, and received both an e-mail and a voice mail telling me that my connecting flight had been delayed 75 minutes.

The e-mail was unequivocal... my new departure time was X:XX PM.

Not "... estimated to be X:XX PM." Not "... X:XX PM but we'll try to leave sooner if we can." Not "... X:XX PM (approximately)"

So, midway thru my wait, I strolled down to the gate to get the scoop, and asked if this was a true "we won't leave before the posted time" or a "we'll get out of here when we can, maybe earlier." Was told that it was the latter, but the GA promised to call the Sky Club if the departure time was moved up.

Riiiiight... she did not. And the lady at the Sky Club desk, in spite of a number of us bothering her periodically, was not monitoring the flight (I know... not required, but would have been a gracious customer service gesture).

So, as I prepared to leave the club at 40 minutes prior to X:XX PM, I asked the agent at the desk to check to see what the boarding time was going to be (I've had too many times when I schlepped down to the gate only to find, upon arrival, that a flight had been delayed even further.)

Response... departure time had been moved up, the flight was boarding, and it was scheduled to depart in 20 minutes.

Good news... the GA had apparently implemented a board FC before Zone 1 policy. FC boarding had already been completed (everyone comfortably in their seats) and I was able to get onto the plane before the Zone 1 Zoo began.

Another wrinkle... about 30 minutes after I received my "Your flight is delayed" e-mail, I received a "Your upgrade has cleared" e-mail. But I had received my UG nearly a week ago for that flight, and the e-mail today still had the original departure time on the itinerary.

Is it unreasonable to expect DL to be a bit more careful in their e-mail correspondence? I did not miss my flight but, as I recall, the earlier thread described some situations where PAX trusted the e-mail info and did miss their flights when the delayed departure time was moved up.