Hey everyone,

I was just out checking my flight status for tonight. My DTW-MSP leg is flight 512 which has an earlier leg MEX-DTW. That leg is a different AC too. Status right now:

MEX-DTW - Lv 4:30 Arr 9:54
DTW-MSP - LV 10:05 Arr 10:58

If leg 1 delays further, will leg 2 need to be delayed because of the potential to have 2 flights in the air, in the same airspace with the same flight number?

As far as I know, not necessarily. The flight number they use for ATC purposes is not necessarily the flight number they use for marketing, etc. For example, they could add an "A" to the second flight.

Correct. Operationally they will simply call one of them a different # (or 512A, as noted) to avoid confusion. This is an internal designation for the airline/feds, the flight # won't (or rather, shouldn't) change from a passenger's perspective.

It looks like the replacement flight # was supposed to be DL9842, but then it was canceled:

From EF:

FLT INFO 512/28JUN *** STUBBED TO 9842 ***
LOF ARR DEP ETA ON IN ETD OUT OFF ACF
MEX 220P 644P 657P 720P 319
DTW 744P 1214A 1202A 1209A

FLT INFO 9842
DTW 1005P LX LX LX M88
MSP 1058P LX LX LX
FACTS-
MEALS/CPT C Y
MEXDTW L F
DTWMSP CXLD

FlightView shows a DL9937 MD88 flight that was supposed to leave at 11:45 PM DTW/MSP, but I can't find any other info about it.

Hopefully the OP will come back and fill us in as to the details of what ever happened to him or her!

Very often the second half of a through flight number operates even though the first half arrives late. In this case, DL512 MEX-DTW was operated with an A319 and the second half DTW-MSP was supposed to be operated with an MD88. My guess is that the DTW-MSP cxl was not related to the late arrival of the MEX-DTW flight.

OP here....reporting in. 2 AM local - still in DTW but at least found a hotel room FIRST before thousands more tried getting them. Rebooked to tomorrow via MEM at 3:xx PM....first available allegedly. DTW was a complete disaster tonight, nobody giving good information. Between ATL and DTW IROPS, things are bad in Deltaland tonight. I guess the word is HubStruck! Looking to try to get on an earlier flight I found with space via DFW. Good times!

This has happened to me.

Just another aspect of the total farce associated with "direct" flights that require a change of aircraft.

More disingenuous marketing BS.

Why was the flight canx??? Didn't they pay for your room???

I still don't understand why stuff like this is even allowed. The feds jump in to regulate other aspects of the airline industry, but this is just plain deception.

. . . . . but this is just plain PLANE deception.

Fixed it for ya!

Irrops in dtw.....tons of canx flts. Finally enroute now.....dtw to slc to get to msp! Was booked thru rdu but it kept pushing so I opted for the slc routing. Easier to get east later at night than to get back west.

They did not pay for themm as it was wx. I did see some diamonds that waited and got vouchers only to be turned away by the hotel that was sold out. 129 is a small price to pay for a real bed and pillow!

The same logic is used for DL 28 (MEM- ATL - CDG). The MEM - ATL is a MD 88/90, the ATL CDG is a bit bigger.

Dave

^! How would they like it if I substituted another pax during a connection?

A few years ago, many DL agents made fun of "ASA's famous broken through flights." Now they're becoming the norm. So there's about the same chance of pax or luggage misconnecting. They shave the SM, too!

And even when the same A/C continues, you have to deplane, "for security reasons" . I can't remember the last "seat occupied" card I saw.

I'd never seen this before until now. DL 181 diverted to ANC yesterday. It is leaving this morning as DL 181A. Todays DL 181 is just leaving DTW. So 2 DL 181's will be in the air at the same time.

I was on DL40 from SLC-MSP (752) which continues to LHR as a 764. Same game there.

Related to this - before DL512 DTW-MSP was canx Friday night, the gate agents kept saying there had been an aircraft change from the 319 to an Maddog. The system would NOT let them move people to the appropriate seats. My hunch is that since MEX-DTW was still airborne, they could not pull up leg 2, yet another DL IT issue. Makes me wonder if that is why they ended up cancelling the flight and not because they could not find FAs. Shena thoughts dancing in my head.

IIRC, all but one time this year for me, 512 from DTW-MSP has been a MD88. The first leg MEX-DTW is always a A319.