Update
At check in I asked about the delay and was told that the pilot was sick, necessitating the delay. But given the first inkling of a delayat around 01:20 am Eastern, it’s still not clear why a new / additional pilot wasn’t sent off to IAD earlier.
In the end the result for us was:
1. No real problem going a day later (in fact both me and Mrs Carlthewebmaster got some important work done on Thursday)
2. Lounge at IAD was emptier at the earlier hour. (And very nice food and drink selection - delicious chicken schnitzel and rotkraut, plus I may or may not have had a wee dream of Cuervo1800 reposado preflight).
3. Emptiest TATL *A flight I’ve been on in years - had an entire three-across row in Y and slept soundly for several hours.
4. Also empty connection to VIE (early am)with again an empty row.
5. EU compensation to come.
21 hour delay FTW?
Semi off topic but why does a very new 747-800 have the old dual-jack audio instead of a normal 1/8” stereo plug? Baffling.