"Reliability Means Delta"
 

After having trip after trip after trip with 100% on-time success this year, I ran into two delays on the same day. On Wednesday 7/13/16, I flew a DCA-JFK-PBI-ATL-DCA itinerary.

After a flawless performance on the DCA-JFK leg, I arrived at gate C63 to find the FA crew exiting the aircraft, and a quick look out the window revealed that Line MTC had opened a panel on the left hand side of the A319 at the rear. Delta was proactive in this circumstance, as they did procure a replacement A319 (with the refurbished cabin and AVOD), got it catered, and was able to get us to PBI only 26 minutes late.

On the way back north, the Big D turned in another impressive performance on the PBI-ATL sector, arriving at ATL about 10 minutes early. However, on the last ATL-DCA flight of the night, our flight crew was late arriving, and as a result we did not start pushback until 45 minutes after scheduled departure time. We were however able to taxi to runway 27R without stopping, and got to DCA at 0036, only 24 minutes behind schedule.

This is to commend Delta for not cancelling either segment, but taking the steps to fly good, comfortable flights and reduce the lateness as much as possible.

What are others finding out about Delta's recent operational performance?

The DOT offers on-time performance by operating carrier for the major mainline and regional carriers in its monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. It shows performance by carrier at selected major airports (the '29 reportable'). It gives cited causes for arrival delay by carrier. The DOT also highlights chronically late flights. www.flightstats.com gives a 0-5 rating for on-time performance; it also shows a length of delay rating.

What more does one need to have an informed discussion?

https://www.transportation.gov/airco...nsumer-reports

FLL-JFK was very delayed last night waiting for pilots to come in....DL didn't cancel and handled it very well. FA up front was outstanding too.

Eh. I suppose.

I had a terrible delay streak in the beginning of the year, which made me seriously question all of these on-time claims (none of my airports had weather issues, but it's possibly that there were domino effects causing all this). Since late March, Delta has been spot on though.

Until yesterday. I was heading home from London and had already had a 16 hour travel day when my final SLC-LAX leg was delayed from 8:35 pm to 10:05, increasing my already long 3 hr-ish layover to over 5! This not being my first rodeo, I had myself swiftly co-terminaled to a LGB-bound flight, so no harm no foul (except that I lost my F seat). Still, if I had a car parked at the destination airport (which I often do) that's not an easy option and if I were a newbie I might not even have thought of this option...

DL may have delays but at least they try and get the flight completed. So many airlines just give up and cancel flights but DL tries to complete the flight even if it means a delay. To me, that is important to know they attempt to complete all mainline flights.

Some people would argue that cancellation is better in that it theoretically opens more rebooking options.

Still, the time my rebooked 6 pm flight was delayed to midnight, I was very grateful that it actually departed and got me to where I needed to be, albeit at 2:35 am.

It's not always better to operate delayed flights rather than cancelling. I was taking a flight recently from CVG-RDU. The plane was supposed to operate CVG-PHL and back before my flight to RDU. Weather caused massive delays along the east coast. My flight was initially delayed for hours. Then as it got worse they cancelled the CVG-PHL and back, and my flight, and all others operated by that bird after it, moved back to on time. Thankfully my flight was a Delta Connection flight, for which Delta isn't as sensitive to completion factor. If it had been a mainline flight, I feel they would have tried harder to operate those PHL flights, inconveniencing everybody downstream just to pad the completion factor, when they limited the pain to 2 flights worth of passengers by canceling.

There was a ton of convective activity (Thunderstorms) on the East Coast yesterday (and all of last week for that matter). Lots of diversions and IROPS (not just DL). Be glad it wasn't worse. ATL is still seeing TS to the South.

I fail to see how one less flight yields *more* rebooking options. If you're talking the macro level (the whole DL system), yes it is often better to XNL. But from a pax perspective in the affected city pair, I fail to see an advantage.

I live in PBI area and fly PBI-ATL and ATL-PBI weekly (connecting on to other cities(. DL does a good job being on time but always wonder if there is a limit to the padding on a flight by airlines (I know they all do it).

For example PBI-ATL averages about 1:15 but is listed as a 1:45-1:51 flight on a ticket.

Just curious.

3 out of my last 6 flights have been delayed over 1hr. 1 MX related, the other 2 WX from incoming aircraft delay.

As for Flight 1774, ATL-RDU and then returns RDU-ATL, I would say less than P-ss-poor. Its published arrival time RDU is the same time as the published boarding on the return. The flight from ATL is often late (mechanical has been the majority of the problems in the last few Sundays) so we leave RDU typically 20-30 minutes late which often calls for a run to the connection. I have sent in several comments to DL.com and have never received a response. Last night, not only was it late arriving RDU (mechanical) we left the gate at 7:15pm (vs the scheduled 6:44pm) and 2 min after we backed away, the pilot said that we were going to have a 50 minute delay on the runway due to a ground stop in ATL.

I have been really down on DL these past few months with missed connections/delays 6 of the last 8 weeks. I cannot get to the client site early enough on a Monday so I have to fly on Sundays and DL still can't get me there until Monday PM and most of them have been mechanical. I have booked AA for the month of August.

So, just to clarify, you know that 1774 is an issue. It's really the last good connection for any flights into or out of ATL. It's thunderstorm season right now, which usually means late flights and missed connections. RDU also has between 11 and 13 flights daily to ATL alone. Plus you say there are mechanical issues with this flight. Why in the world, having all this knowledge, would you book on 1774? I'm not saying take the 0600 departure, but there are two flights prior to that one that can get you to ATL, give you the cushion to get there that night? That just makes zero sense.

Yes it is thunderstorm season and RDU is my home airport, so you aren't telling me anything new. I am home for a grand total of 48 hours or less each week and all airlines have lousy connections to my current work site and Mondays (which is my preferred travel day) is out of the question. I choose a mainline aircraft and the latest possible flight to maximize my home time, flying through any NYC airport is beyond stupid for a PM connection. Thanks for your concern for my well being.