Originally Posted by
cre95
Same way as “being on time” is more easily achieved when schedules are heavily padded.
It’s amazing that one can leave 30 min late on a 2.5 hr scheduled flight and still arrive early! Note that we are talking about a 20% delay and still make it to the destination early.
In fairness, the padding is really for two reasons:
- Account for changes in jetstream. This is a random variable that cannot be predicted with reasonable accuracy until 48-96 hours prior to departure. An unusually strong jetstream can make a "typically" 5 hour flight into a 5 hour and 45 minute flight.
- Account for all too predictable apron/runway congestion
These are factors outside of Delta's control. That said, Delta is highly incented to minimize block times - padding costs money. They won't do it unless they have to.
JFK is a great example of this. For flights arriving / departing at 4-7 PM (peak TATL departure time), flight padding is noticeably greater.
If operational excellence was as easy as padding flight times, United and American would do it.
By the way - Delta's real defining operational excellence factor IS their cancellation rate. I know there are some snide remarks on this thread, but what Delta has done with cancellations is downright remarkable. Yes, some of it is from 12 hour delayed flights, but a significant portion of it is from
I am not a Delta fanboy - but I give credit where credit is due, and Delta's management of cancellations is not just leading among the US-3, it is leading across the entire globe. No other airline (when adjusting for weather, route network, and so on) has such a high completion factor. And it's not even close.