Stupid Stuff Gate Agents Say
 

THe aircraft has not arrived and it is past boarding time

Me: This flight has been delayed and I am worried about my connection

Agent: No it isn't

Me: Not according to the Delta website and flightaware

Agent: The flight will arrive on time sir

Me: I just watched the last flight to Atlanta sit at the end of the runway for 20 minutes

Agent: Well that's normal

Me: Oh really, so that flight departed on time?

Agent: Yes it did

There is no longer any hope of having an educated conversation with this agent so I just walk away.

What is your best stupid gate agent story?

My most memorable stupid GA story involved an equally stupid medallion. The GA was insisting that Delta doesn't have to provide hotels on weekends regardless of the delay reason. The medallion was insisting that his status entitles him to a hotel room regardless of the delay reason. They both started yelling and then I walked away.

To OP: The flight you asked the GA about could have departed on-time. Taxi time doesn't affect departure time since departure = brakes released, not off the ground.

Well, it isn't normal to sit at the end of the runway for 20 minutes unless there is a delay of some sort. Unless there is a hell of tailwind that flight did not reach ATL on time.

Airline schedules tend to have a lot of extra time built in for such situations. It's pretty common for a flight to depart "late" but nevertheless arrive on time.

I've heard from a network planning guy I don't know very well that every dom. flight is uniformly blocked for the true estimated flying+taxi time with an added 15 minutes to make up for taxi/wind delays (NOT holding for late passengers btw).

Yes, you are right they can take a slight delay and still arrive on time. But twenty minutes late boarding, probably another ten minutes pushback and taxi time, twenty minutes sitting at the end of the runway, and then another 15 minutes taxi time upon arrival in ATL. At that point if you have a tight connection you might arrive in time to wave goodbye to your connecting flight.

I hope you know those 25 minutes are part of the scheduled departure and arrival times. The only event that creates a delay is late arriving equipment. The plane has to board, deplane, and taxi no matter what happens--on-time or not.

And I'm right again. We just reached the end of the runway and will be sitting here for another twenty minutes. Delta, we love to lie and it shows.

??

I've sat taxi-ing for hours before... 20mins is nothing.

Outbound could be anything from sequencing, Wx, waiting on ATC, runway changes... Inbound could be waiting on a gate, etc..

In any case, doesn't sound like the GA in your case screwed up unless the flight was shown as delayed in DL's system. Boarding time is meaningless. If it's after scheduled departure time and boarding still hasn't started, that's another story entirely.

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RE "stupid stuff GA say"... I was once told that I couldn't SDC onto a flight that had open F seats, even though I had a paid F ticket by a GA. Worst part was all her coworkers and even her manager swore by it. I called the DM line, SDC'd onto the flight and said "what gives?"... Got a shrug and no apology whatsoever.

Was also told once when I asked to get on a list for an aisle or window that might open up that "sorry, no seats, and I have a few Gold medallions on the list already in case one does open up"... When I informed her I was a DM stuck in a middle (with no hope of clearing into F) her tune changed and she put me at the top of the list :P

Had a few "tell a white lie to get them to go away" incidents too, but nothing major.

It seems to me that if some are so sensitive to the daily possibilities of air travel commercially, some should probably consider not flYing commercially.

I'm amazed that Gate agents will even converse with some of you.

The customer is NOT always right.

Did you push back from the gate on time or not? Taxi time is included in deltas scheduling; DL builds a lot of buffer in. There is still a good chance you land on time.

[edit] Just read that you were delayed ~20mins. Still a decent chance of arriving pretty close to on time. How tight is your connection?[/edit]

My flight was delayed according to both delta.com and flightaware. She chose to lie to my face.

In my experience, telling the truth pisses of the medallions even more.

Yes, oversized fees DO apply even to you, Mr. DYKWIA.
No, you can't have a preferred seat because you booked Basic Economy.
Yes, I'm going to charge you for a 53 lb. bag to AMS.

Of course, I could lie and waive all that ..... But I don't want to anger the medallions who hate lying agents. ;)

If that's true, you should have the option of rebooking right from the delta website or app.

Calling also works. Yes, the GA should have helped you, but sounds like she was trying to get you to go away so she could get the flight out ASAP.

How tight is your connection? 30mins is, I believe, the tightest allowed.

What the flight #?