Originally Posted by
wanko18
I took UA#803 from Narita to Singapore on Dec28,2013. The scheduled departure time was 17:35. After they closed the door,they showed the safety video while we were still at the gate
.I thought the plane would leave the gate though it still there for 30 minutes. No explanation was made the captain nor the cabin crew.
After leaving the gate,it took another 30 minutes to take off. Still no announcement about the delay. We were finally at airborne for almost 1 hour late.The captain and the cabin crew announced the flying time and safety though never mentioned what caused the delay nor the plane got delayed.
They were as if we were on schedule. We arrived at Singapore after 50 minute behind the original shedule. The captain nor any cabin crew mentioned about the delay. Is the delay within 1 hour not counted as delay on United ?
30 min at the gate most likely due to late arriving bags have to load into the plane, or it could also be too many planes waiting for take off, NRT ATC just asked the plane to wait at the gate.
Another 30 min to take off because late afternoon / early evening there are many departures at NRT, there are only two runways at NRT, for take off they usually only use 16R/34L as it is much longer than 16L/34R, 16L/34R reserved for smaller planes like 767 or short haul widebodies with lighter loads.
Originally Posted by
DL2SXM
Maybe its common on UA... All the Delta flights I've taken from NRT never resulted in a 1 hour delay
No it is not common on UA, it depends on what time of the day and the weather. Late afternoon usually is the worst when all the US departures from DL and UA take off all together. NRT always have strong wind, especially crosswind, that's how the Fedex MD11 flipover and burned to nothing.
Even back before DL merge with NW, I had often had long delays with NW. Remembered back then NRT always use remote gates when you have to bussed in and out of the terminal ? It is guranteeded your flight will be delayed.
Originally Posted by
adampenrith
If it were ANA they would be bowing and apologising
I often fly on Garuda and once we were in a ATC delay due to a VIP aircraft ahead of us, the Cabin Manager approached every person in the Business Class cabin with an apology and explanation
Wrong assumption, perhaps if you are flying F or C with NH, I had never had any FA apologize to me in NH if you are flying Y. Even the most recent flight I flew with NH in F back early in December, it was 1 hour late arrival in NRT, no one apologize to me neither, that caused me to only have 30 min connection to the TG flight. I was tried to ask the NH agent if I could get ahead of the security line as there were like 50+ people in that line with only two check points, not to mention my TG flight leaves in satellite 4 instead of 5 (which means I have to walk the long tunnel underground), she just said I will make it, until I told her I am connecting to TG F, there is no way I would stay in that line and missed my flight, so she finally let me go to the front. No apology ever and she was kept laughing at the same time thinking it is like a joke.
The NH 911 NRT-HKG always have delays as well due to the late departure time, the longest one was 2 hours at the gate then 1 hours at the tarmac. The FA only said it is because many planes were taking off, but no one said why were we like in the last of the queue.