DL Florida flights delayed 12/26 all day
 

Delayed from LgA-TPA already for 2.5 hrs, even with plane and crew here. They say
it's weather in Florida but my son in Tampa says its crystal clear skies there.

Not sure how this happens. Anybody know anything? Nothing we're being told here makes sense

Tampa tower went down. Jacksonville ARTCC implemented flow control. All flights not just DL are delayed on average two hours. Sitting in ATL B SC. Had just finished boarding the flight to MIA when went down. 1245 departure right now per ATC.

Why would the tower at TPA affect other Florida flights? Is it an air traffic problem with Florida?

Flights enroute are having to hold, congesting airspace.

I'm in the B SkyClub in ATL right now. Sounds like quite the mess according to the agents upon check-in.

More than just a little annoying that they're playing the weather card.

In my experience, ATC delays fall into the same category as weather (in fact many 'weather' delays are in fact ATC-imposed delays as a result of the weather). I understand your gripe in this case, as there is no actual weather occurring (as I sit in sunny Southwest Florida, I can attest to this!) but I think agents are using the ATC/weather shorthand and doubt they are intentionally being misleading. I think they lump all ATC into 'weather' because it usually is.

Weather and ATC go hand in hand, which is why most weather or ATC delays are auto-coded as "Weather/ATC."

That is crazy. Beautiful day here in FLL area.

While that may be, ATC may be the consequence of weather, but weather is NOT the consequence of ATC. Lumping together cause and effect, or non-cause and thus no effect does not transmit correct information.

Weather and ATC delays have the same effect as far as compensation goes ($0), but I'd definitely like to know which one it truly is, since weather can take longer to recover from, and is harder to predict. An ATC issue (unless it's similar to the fire at Chicago Center a few years ago) shouldn't take more than a few hours to correct. If it's ATC, I'm probably chilling in the SkyClub for a few hours. Weather is more likely to mean a hotel stay and/or rebook for the next day.

......

I've always assumed they say 'weather' as much as possible so hopefully most don't ask for some compensation. Even knowing it is not weather as most wouldn't know they COULD be owed something and others would just go "Oh OK" and continue to wait and be angry.

you're not owed anything for ATC either

The weird part is that people always say maintenance issues are "under delta's control" but that's really a dumb way of looking at things. When the windshield wipers break, it's not because delta chose to put broken ones on that plane or specifically ordered parts with a faulty design. Even if they replaced all the parts on the plane after every flight there would still be failures. They're not "under delta's control" any more than the weather is.

Of course.

But again your typical passenger hears "Weather" and goes "OK". Tell them some tower in Tampa has a problem for your flight from Atlanta to Orlando... and they will say "I'm not going to Tampa".

well, you could just say "air traffic control is down" and the guy would say "OK" too if you don't specify where. THere are tons of weather delays that don't involve weather at the origin or destination or anywhere in the path, so if you tell some guy flying Atlanta to Orlando that his flight is delayed because of "Weather in Milwaukee" (where his plane is inbound from) he's going to say "I'm not going to Milwaukee."

I was listening to JFK tower yesterday,and they were saying it was flow going to Florida. A few Mexico flights were delayed,too.

In the end, it's about being truthful with the customer.

I would hope that it isn't Delta's policy to lie because it's quicker, or that its customers wouldn't understand anyway.

I would be shocked if this is "Delta Policy".

During this holiday week, there are also severe Miles in Trail and lower AARs for traffic heading from the NE to FL and beyond (Carib). This happens every year (snow bird routes) and the delays usually aren't that bad (<30 min typically), but sounds like it was exacerbated due to the equipment failure.

During the holidays, the volume (especially from GA) goes up and causes the ATC delays for snow birds.