Originally Posted by
mduell
The airlines have flexibility to move flights around among their own slots when there's a delay program. Could be the other flight had more/more important connectors, people who hadn't already blown connections like your family's flight had, crew that needed to be in ORD, random luck, etc.
All true, but with other airlines diverting their trans Atlantic flights, ORD wasn't really in a "we'll let some of you land, you can choose" situation.