Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > Delta Air Lines | SkyMiles
Reload this Page >

April 5, 2017: Delta cancels 300 flights due to thunderstorm

Old Apr 8, 2017, 1:28 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Renes Points
Great explanation about Crew Tracking & Scheduling and what went wrong: Post #590

[Feel free to edit / add to the timeline of DL events.]

First waver ATL only and only 5-7 and by 11th: https://web.archive.org/web/20170406...perations.html

Second waver "all" hubs and 5-9 and by 16th: https://web.archive.org/web/20170407...perations.html

April 6th COO Gil West apology and blames "unprecedented" ( 5 hour ) storm / weather: http://news.delta.com/chief-operatin...cedented-storm

April 7 & 8 Five things to know list: http://news.delta.com/5-things-custo...tions-saturday

April 7th In midst of service fail Delta devalues SkyMiles with partners: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...000-miles.html

April 8th updates on operations: http://news.delta.com/operational-re...ontinues-today

April 12th will be $DAL earnings live and should yield more info: http://ir.delta.com/news-and-events/...s/default.aspx

April 9, 11:40 PM (EDT): What appears to be the last cancellation of the meltdown was made for DL2682/10Apr BOS-LGA (717 aircraft)

April 11th - Delta begins to pay out compensation for impacted travelers: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-air-lines-skymiles/1835970-early-april-operation-disruption-compensation.html

Other coverage of the event:

Pilots board relating to this epic fail: https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/d...-atl-irop.html

Factors compounding delays/cancellations:
  • Weather in ATL April 5
  • DL terminating interline with AA
  • Delta's systems crashing/overloaded
  • DL's crew scheduling system crashed [rumor?]
  • Rumored short-term power outage in ATL A concourse caused by airport construction some time around Tuesday-Wednesday

Current delay statistics: Flightaware's live flight delay and cancellation statistics

News coverage:

BuzzFeedNews: Delta Has Canceled Thousands Of Flights And Everyone Is In Hell - No spring break is safe. (Posted on April 7, 2017, at 11:59 a.m.)

The Southampton Press: Cancelled Flight Dashes Disney Dream For Hampton Bays Marching Band (April 7, 2017 11:30 AM)

USA Today: Thousands of Delta flights canceled days after storms (Published 8:53 a.m. ET April 8, 2017)

CNN - Delta meltdown: Pilots are on hold, too (Updated 6:52 PM ET, Sat April 8, 2017)

The Wall Street Journal - Delta Struggles to Recover From Last Weeks Storms (April 9, 2017 12:23 p.m. ET)

AJC.com: Delta woes stretch into Sunday with more cancellations (11:57 a.m. Sunday, April 9, 2017)

AJC.com: Why one day of thunderstorms turned into a five-day Delta meltdown (12:01 p.m Sunday, April 9, 2017)

Detroit Free Press: Headaches continue for Delta fliers in Detroit (Published 2:26 p.m. ET April 9, 2017 Updated 5:54 p.m. ET April 9, 2017)

CNN - Delta tries to 'normalize' as flight cancellations continue (Updated 4:06 PM ET, Sun April 9, 2017)

New York Times: Storms, Though Over, Still Disrupt Delta Flights (APRIL 9, 2017)

NewsChannel5.com - Nashville Man's Body Stranded After Delta Flight Chaos (4:24 PM April 9, 2017)

CBS North Carolina: Raleigh parents upset after sons body stranded during Delta flight chaos (April 9, 2017, 8:14 pm Updated: April 10, 2017, 5:35 am)

AJC.com: Delta reassures customers as delays continue through weekend (5:53 p.m Sunday, April 9, 2017)

AJC.com: Hundreds of stranded bags left at Hartsfield-Jackson in aftermath of Delta flight cancellations (9:29 a.m. Monday, April 10, 2017)

Bloomberg: Delta Delays Drag On, Testing Passengers' Patience (April 9, 2017, 4:10 PM EDT Updated On April 10, 2017, 10:13 AM EDT)

BuzzFeedNews: Delta Suffered "Failure of Crew Tracking Systems" During Cancelled Flight Fiasco - "I feel like we are lost in the system." (Originally posted on April 11, 2017, at 3:28 p.m. Updated on April 12, 2017, at 10:38 a.m. )

Reuters (posted on BusinessInsider): Delta's profit drops 36.3% (Apr. 12, 2017, 7:20 AM)

AJC.com - Accused child rapist caught at airport when flight is delayed (7:39 p.m Thursday, April 13, 2017)
Print Wikipost

April 5, 2017: Delta cancels 300 flights due to thunderstorm

Old Apr 3, 2017, 5:53 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,897
What's happening at ATL tonight

I'm connecting DFW-ROA.

ATL-ROA 3:27pm and 6:02pm cancelled.
9:31pm delayed until 11:50pm.
chuck1 is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 5:55 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,394
Thunderstorms in ATL caused a bunch of delays, diversions, and cancellations today
kop84 is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 5:57 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: Delta Gold
Posts: 207
Originally Posted by chuck1
I'm connecting DFW-ROA.

ATL-ROA 3:27pm and 6:02pm cancelled.
9:31pm delayed until 11:50pm.
Weather in ATL
jb1012xna is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 5:57 pm
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,897
Just seems IRROPS are a bit worse than normal.
Many of the delayed are 3-5 hours as opposed to 1 1/2-3 hours.
chuck1 is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 6:10 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
There was an hour ground stop at ATL earlier today, which may have caused ripple delays for the rest of the day. Tornado warnings, heavy winds, trees down, etc. http://www.ajc.com/weather/storms-le...gC78WTansaMAI/
CJKatl is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2017, 6:45 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 162
my flight out of JFK got canceled too. i asked them to fly me out of LGA, and the new flight is also delayed.
frankflieslots is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2017, 7:33 am
  #7  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,218
Weather in ATL and then it all moved East (i.e. through the whole line of flight to ROA)

Disruptions all over the SE last night.
HDQDD is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2017, 9:27 am
  #8  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt LT DM, Wyndham DM, Hertz PC, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,038
Was definitely weather. As said supposed tornadoes. Super high winds. Came through midday and of course that kills the rest of the day for catch-up.

Hoping tomorrow isn't like that.
dinanm3atl is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2017, 1:01 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Just relocated to Phoenix, so I guess that does it for Delta for me
Programs: DL "Annual" GM 2MM, AA lifetime Gold 1MM, Hilton Gold, Hertz President's Club
Posts: 337
Was departing DFW for ATL on the 6:30 pm DL84 last night, but when I arrived at the airport got the email from Delta stating the flight was now departing at 1:30 AM, arriving at 4:45 AM! Luckily a TA was able to move me to an early afternoon flight which was now leaving at 8:00 PM, a whole lot better. When I finally arrived at ATL at 11 PM it looked like a refugee camp, people camped out in chairs, on the floors, everywhere, trying to get out.
lovecabo is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2017, 5:21 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Delta PM
Posts: 887
Be prepared for even more of this today. Several rounds of bad storms forecast for Atlanta.
dcadwell is online now  
Old Apr 5, 2017, 6:53 am
  #11  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.3MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,194
Tornado Warning for Hapeville, GA (ATL)

Just curious if anyone at ATL was experiencing anything procedurally out of ordinary for this. Radar spotted rotation...
DLATL777 is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2017, 6:55 am
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: Delta PM
Posts: 887
Ground stop was just issued.
dcadwell is online now  
Old Apr 5, 2017, 7:12 am
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CLT-adjacent
Programs: AARP, DL Skymiles, Marriot Bonvoy, Moe's Rewards
Posts: 921
I'm about 2 miles east of downtown Atlanta and it's not looking good. Local forecasts are for the worst of the storm to hit the airport area in force around 9 AM EST. We're currently in a tornado watch. A cold front will join the party in the afternoon and increase the likelihood of tornadoes.
Good luck flyers, it's going to be a messy travel day.
fsuj25 is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2017, 7:48 am
  #14  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,218
Originally Posted by dcadwell
Be prepared for even more of this today. Several rounds of bad storms forecast for Atlanta.
And the rest of the Southeast. This line could prove much worse than the one Monday.

Keep an eye on the convective forecast.

http://aviationweather.gov/convection

And ATL is now on a 2nd tier GS:

CTL ELEMENT: ATL
ELEMENT TYPE: APT
ADL TIME: 1333Z
GROUND STOP PERIOD: 05/1323Z - 05/1430Z
DEP FACILITIES INCLUDED: (2ndTier-ZAB) ZAU ZDC ZFW ZKC ZME ZHU ZBW
ZOB ZJX ZMA ZID ZTL ZNY
PREVIOUS TOTAL, MAXIMUM, AVERAGE DELAYS: 564 / 121 / 19
NEW TOTAL, MAXIMUM, AVERAGE DELAYS: 1555 / 181 / 52
PROBABILITY OF EXTENSION: MEDIUM
IMPACTING CONDITION: WEATHER / THUNDERSTORMS
COMMENTS:
HDQDD is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2017, 8:16 am
  #15  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,577
Thankfully connecting through LGA and not ATL today. A rarity for me being based in PBI.

Everyone stay safe. Looks nasty out there.
apodo77 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.