Dec 17, 2017, 10:45 pm
Last edit by: RatherBeOnATrain
Waiver posted: https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...er-outage.html
as of ~1am EST on 12/18:
AFFECTED CITIES (TO / FROM / THROUGH)
Atlanta, GA (ATL)
IMPACTED TRAVEL DATE(S)
December 17-19, 2017
TICKET MUST BE REISSUED ON OR BEFORE
December 22, 2017
REBOOKED TRAVEL MUST BEGIN NO LATER THAN
December 22, 2017
An Atlanta newspaper article that describes the aiport's lack of preparation and poor communications during the outage: MyAJC - Zero communication, Airport had no plan for total power outage (Posted: 8:28 p.m. Monday, December 18, 2017)
as of ~1am EST on 12/18:
AFFECTED CITIES (TO / FROM / THROUGH)
Atlanta, GA (ATL)
IMPACTED TRAVEL DATE(S)
December 17-19, 2017
TICKET MUST BE REISSUED ON OR BEFORE
December 22, 2017
REBOOKED TRAVEL MUST BEGIN NO LATER THAN
December 22, 2017
An Atlanta newspaper article that describes the aiport's lack of preparation and poor communications during the outage: MyAJC - Zero communication, Airport had no plan for total power outage (Posted: 8:28 p.m. Monday, December 18, 2017)
Power outage in ATL
Dec 17, 2017, 6:00 pm
#181
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: UA MileagePlus 2MM
Posts: 1,567
I have to imagine this going to cause bit of a dent in Delta's reputation. It just seems worst business practice to rent space from an airport where at least 80% of your planes travel through on a daily basis and not have one or two backup electrical sources that are completely independent of one another. Maybe there are and they failed, I don't know. Who knows how many are trapped in trains, in the airport, on aircraft on taxiways, elderly or pax with limited mobility, trapped in darkened terminals. The stories that come out over the next few days are going to be a social media PR catastrophe. And it's a shame because Delta has worked hard to earn it's reputation at the top of all US Airlines for several years. Good luck to all Delta passengers and frontline employees and hopefully (but unlikely) the trickle down effects are solved quickly and as painlessly during the holiday season so passengers and schedules can get back on their way.
Adam
Adam
Dec 17, 2017, 6:01 pm
#182
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 698
Honestly, Delta (and any airline) should have multiple levels of contingency in place. I.e. backup power for each terminal or critical system AND a plan if that backup power does not work. There should definitely be a plan for de-planing MANY planes all on the tarmac. And a company that has most of their operations based should be extra diligent. This is not rocket science!
Dec 17, 2017, 6:06 pm
#183
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MCO
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AA PP
Posts: 541
They really dropped the ball by holding planes on the tarmac until it started to get dark. They should have begun evacuating them with stairs to buses, cleared the terminal immediately and allowed cars to enter to pick up but not allowed any drop offs, and cancelled all flights for the remainder of the day within an hour of the power going out when they still hadn't figured out the cause.
The whole thing is a mess and jobs should be lost top down for not having adequate plans and procedures. They violated the Federal DOT rule about three hour tarmac delays, and by the time they actually started to unload people it was way too little, too late. I'm guessing the power will be back on by the time they finish getting people off planes, and can't even imagine how long it will take to process the heavies that landed from other countries through CBP with no power, computers, or by the looks of it, lights.
Not even having adequate emergency lighting is something that the ATL officials need to address--and if the leadership is too stupid to have them, along with staff trained in emergency operations--they need to be replaced with trained chimpanzees who would likely be better at doing their job.
By the way, sending passengers down emergency slides is so utterly unacceptable unless the plane is on fire (or similar) that there simply are no words. If that is the case, then some pilots themselves have some serious explaining to do, and are probably unfit for duty.
The whole thing is a mess and jobs should be lost top down for not having adequate plans and procedures. They violated the Federal DOT rule about three hour tarmac delays, and by the time they actually started to unload people it was way too little, too late. I'm guessing the power will be back on by the time they finish getting people off planes, and can't even imagine how long it will take to process the heavies that landed from other countries through CBP with no power, computers, or by the looks of it, lights.
Not even having adequate emergency lighting is something that the ATL officials need to address--and if the leadership is too stupid to have them, along with staff trained in emergency operations--they need to be replaced with trained chimpanzees who would likely be better at doing their job.
By the way, sending passengers down emergency slides is so utterly unacceptable unless the plane is on fire (or similar) that there simply are no words. If that is the case, then some pilots themselves have some serious explaining to do, and are probably unfit for duty.
Dec 17, 2017, 6:10 pm
#184
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 309
Now I'm reminiscing. Remember the system meltdown Delta had a couple of years ago, where things were messed up for like a week and it was totally Delta's fault? And people were howling for the heads of the IT department in social media?
Were there actual firings announced over that? I can't remember now.
Were there actual firings announced over that? I can't remember now.
Dec 17, 2017, 6:10 pm
#185
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
I'll just leave this here for giggles, perhaps someone should print it out and wallpaper Ed's office with it:
https://skift.com/2015/09/12/delta-e...-in-the-lurch/
Short term thinking results in long term failure. This is now the second complete meltdown in one year, bet DLs customers wish they had access to some AA seats to "backstop" DLs operation today, tomorrow, and the next day...
https://skift.com/2015/09/12/delta-e...-in-the-lurch/
The dispute over the carriers’ pact comes as Delta has been touting the reliability of its operation, with the best on-time arrival and flight cancellation rate among the large network carriers. On that basis, Delta sought a higher payment for each passenger it accepts from American and United, arguing that those two carriers need its open seats far more than it needs theirs. United, which has been sending more passengers to Delta than American does, agreed to those terms in August, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said Friday.
In July, American sent five passengers to Delta for each passenger Delta sent to American, Delta said Friday. American spokeswoman Jenna Arnold said July was “an outlier” due to storms at the airline’s hubs and that the ratio of passenger exchanges varies month to month.
In April, the Airlines Clearing House, a not-for-profit company the airlines own to settle financial accounts among one another, set a new rate for passenger swapping for carriers that have interline agreements. The payments are set using a stage-adjusted mileage formula based on the flight on which an airline is booking its passenger. Given the disparity of recent passenger flows among Delta, American and United, the Atlanta-based airline sought more beneficial terms. “Basically, we’re backstopping their operation, so throw us an extra bone or two,” Black said of Delta’s reasoning.
In July, American sent five passengers to Delta for each passenger Delta sent to American, Delta said Friday. American spokeswoman Jenna Arnold said July was “an outlier” due to storms at the airline’s hubs and that the ratio of passenger exchanges varies month to month.
In April, the Airlines Clearing House, a not-for-profit company the airlines own to settle financial accounts among one another, set a new rate for passenger swapping for carriers that have interline agreements. The payments are set using a stage-adjusted mileage formula based on the flight on which an airline is booking its passenger. Given the disparity of recent passenger flows among Delta, American and United, the Atlanta-based airline sought more beneficial terms. “Basically, we’re backstopping their operation, so throw us an extra bone or two,” Black said of Delta’s reasoning.
Dec 17, 2017, 6:15 pm
#186
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,227
Honestly, Delta (and any airline) should have multiple levels of contingency in place. I.e. backup power for each terminal or critical system AND a plan if that backup power does not work. There should definitely be a plan for de-planing MANY planes all on the tarmac. And a company that has most of their operations based should be extra diligent. This is not rocket science!
Dec 17, 2017, 6:16 pm
#187
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,241
They really dropped the ball by holding planes on the tarmac until it started to get dark. They should have begun evacuating them with stairs to buses, cleared the terminal immediately and allowed cars to enter to pick up but not allowed any drop offs, and cancelled all flights for the remainder of the day within an hour of the power going out when they still hadn't figured out the cause.
Dec 17, 2017, 6:23 pm
#188
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM; UA 1K; AA 1MM
Posts: 4,516
(That comment of disbelief directed at Georgia Power, not DenverBrian).
Dec 17, 2017, 6:24 pm
#189
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
Paris hotel in Vegas had a problem. The final link was cut, on the other side of the backup. No power. Zip. Nada. No way to fix or even foresee it. Not even those internet monday morning quarterbacks could have fixed it.
Dec 17, 2017, 6:30 pm
#190
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Diamond, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,354
In case there are any stranded passengers reading this, the downtown Westin is selling rooms on Priceline for tonight for only $67 + taxes and fees. Just take MARTA up there and spend the night in a Heavenly Bed. If you can't get on Priceline, call 'em up. I'm sure they'll give you a good deal. Sounds as though they're really empty.
Dec 17, 2017, 6:30 pm
#191
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: MSP & MCO
Programs: DL PM & NRSA, AA Gold, ANA Plat, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, National EC Exec, GE, CLEAR
Posts: 1,225
I'm still in disbelief after the first 45 minutes that they didn't just take busses out onto the tarmac to run in a rotation for the domestic flights.
Dec 17, 2017, 6:31 pm
#192
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 16
we landed today and the jet bridge was half way to the plane when the power died. Took 4 hours to get my wife, baby and I off. The airport was like a scene from the walking dead.
Any my advice on the best way to get back to MSP tomorrow? I am in the que with Delta phone line and sent them a Twitter DM. I also picked a new flight tomorrow in the APP but see no evidence of the new flight itinerary in the app.
Any my advice on the best way to get back to MSP tomorrow? I am in the que with Delta phone line and sent them a Twitter DM. I also picked a new flight tomorrow in the APP but see no evidence of the new flight itinerary in the app.
Dec 17, 2017, 6:31 pm
#193
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 20
Last edited by jason99; Dec 17, 2017 at 6:56 pm
Dec 17, 2017, 6:35 pm
#194
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: MSP & MCO
Programs: DL PM & NRSA, AA Gold, ANA Plat, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, National EC Exec, GE, CLEAR
Posts: 1,225
This operational mess isn't going to fix itself overnight, though it does help that the plane is actually in ATL. Given that the plane is already here, has a gate, and passengers were deplaned ages ago that helps. Hopefully there'll be a crew in order. Though really, sit tight. It's gonna be interesting.
Last edited by TheLifeOfA_NKCM; Dec 17, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Dec 17, 2017, 6:35 pm
#195
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
But some systems need hyper local power supplies, like emergency lights, which should have a battery pack at the light source. Moveable stairways are moved by trucks with their own engines.