Not sure this is at the level of the OP's experience--which does indeed set the bar very high--but frustrating all the same: JFK-MSP two Christmases ago, a guy threw up shortly after boarding. Apparently with such velocity and oder as to cause a woman recovering from some other sickness to throw up as well. Boarding continued for a few minutes, but then the pilot decided everyone should disembark so that the cleaning crew--which had to be summoned from a different terminal--could use chemicals whose odors might cause the rest of us to throw up, too. At this point Port Authority protocols kicked in--which did not prevent pax from complaining that this was somehow all DL's fault for allowing the first barfer on the plane to start with--and that included calls in to the CDC to make sure that there couldn't be something in the air that was making everyone sick. (The answer was no.)

Not a good day for many people, but for me a happy outcome: I'd missed the UGs on both this and my connecting flight, but with the delays and cancellations ended up in F on both my new flights.

Everyone on our flight was pretty frustrated on our flight at the 1 hour mark. On one hand there would be no missed connections in LWB. On the other hand, the pilot explained that we couldn't leave without the sodas (even if we all voted to leave without them) because Delta had no catering contract in LWB and the RETURN passengers to JFK might well want to enjoy a cold Diet Coke on their flight.

Most interesting delay as a pax: Was delayed last year [MENTION=784783]ATL[/MENTION] while the FNT airport was closed after one of the airport policemen were stabbed. Thankfully the cop was ok.

But I have a bunch from my time in the biz.

As a ramp supv at UA: One we had a delay because one of the ramp crew's hats got sucked into the APU intake (on the bottom of an A320) while he was removing the main gear chocks. Had to wait for MX to come remove the hat. Took a 5 min delay, which irked me because I had to then write a delay report...and the flight still arrived early.

Also had a ramper doing a walkaround during pushback who noticed something strange near where the pax door was connected to a jetway. MX was called to check it out, and it turns out it was bubblegum. Took a 7 min delay, and then I fought with ops to have it coded as a miscellaneous delay, as opposed to a ramp delay. Eventually I won the argument.

Once had a ramper loading a 777 for the TATL flight point out that a kennel that was too small for the dog. A discussion between myself (ramp supv) and a CS supv ensued and we agreed that it was in fact too small. There are rules about the dog has to be able to stand up and turn around, etc. etc. Anyway, this was only 10 or so minutes before departure (dogs are loaded last into the bulk pit of 777s). So we checked with everyone inside UA that might have a kennel, and we got lucky that cargo had one that was big enough. So we sent a ramper to go get it. It's a long trek to the cargo area and back and by the time everything was sorted, we took a 20 minute delay. Ops also tried to stick that one to the ramp, but I got it (properly) coded to CS, since they never should have accepted the dog at check in. Put a nice letter in the ramper's file for doing the right thing and reporting it. With recent events it may be hard to believe that UA actually cared about a dog.

As a gate agent I was once working an AC flight. There was a group of extremely large women that were together and the airplane didn't have enough seat belt extensions. We also didn't have any AC extensions in our office (UA ground handled their flights). Apparently UA and AC seat belt extensions are not compatible (lesson learned). So I had to go to other airlines to see if I could find some. Thankfully WN had a bunch that were compatible and let us "borrow" them. Took a 25 minute delay that I did get stuck with. Oh well. It was not a comfortable situation for any of us!

There are probably hundreds of other stories. Once I was deicing a RON aircraft with a half inch of ice all over it. Ran out of Glycol, went to the Glycol farm, and all the pumps were frozen with the ice covering and wouldn't work. Had to cancel the flight. Thankfully this one was just a re-position for a charter. We'd already cancelled all the other RONs the night before due to the ice storm.

In the early 1990s, I had to travel on short notice BWI-ATL-PFN (the former Panama City, FL airport); I finished my business in Panama City in 45 minutes, and got an early flight back to ATL which allowed me to work out a stopover to see the Atlanta Braves at the old Fulton County Stadium, and then take the last flight of the night, an "Owly Bird", back to BWI. The flight departed around 12:30 a.m., which was normal back in those days (when BWI was a really great place to be a DL flyer, remembering here the now demolished Pier B and its private, unmarked VIP lounge accessed by getting a code number to punch in at an unmarked door)

Anyhow, the flight boards calmly and seemingly normally; yours truly is having a fine PDB and looking forward to a 90 minute nap. We push back and head for the runway. The captain comes on the horn and describes the weather in Maryland and that we are #2 for departure. At that moment a character from central casting comes out of deepest, darkest coach, in fishing clothes complete with a bucket hat and his fishing pole, runs up to the F galley, and yells in a moaning voice, "I want to go to Orlando". It turned out that the MCO flight left from directly across the concourse from the BWI flight. What they should have done was take him to BWI, where he would only have to wait 5 hours for the 7 am non-stop departure. However, they made the decision to take him back to one of the DL gates (possibly B2). We ended up getting to BWI around 3 a.m.

I remember the one time I landed at LWB; it was on Piedmont back in the early 80s; my destination was TRI; and the flight was DCA-LWB-TRI-ATL. There were five or six rampers on duty, each one in the supine position on chaise lounges positioned at the aircraft parking positions (LWB did not have any jetbridges at the time).

This is where the Southwest empowerment model would have come in handy. Read on another thread about how a SW flight had botched catering and so the flight crew raided a nearby concession stand for drinks and meals. :D

In all seriousness though, if it was really just diet coke, I would have called up Ops and said to have someone stop by a vending machine in LWB if it was really truly necessary to have diet coke on board (...which it's not).

Burned out light bulb in the cabin. Not an emergency sign light bulb. Believe it might have been the lav is occupied sign.

How about a double crew timeout because the replacement flight crew took their sweet time intentionally so they would time-out. I was near enough the gate to hear the GA ask if they should start boarding, to which she was told "No, they aren't going to make it at this pace."

Overnight (12 hour delay) in PHX with no hotel offered.

We had just finished boarding and there were quite a few pilots deadheading that were seated near me. The FA starts going up to each of them (not all are DL) and asking if they are 57 qualified. Uh oh! Then comes the announcement - the pilot is stuck in traffic. The pilot had to drive up from PDX to SEA and the weather was a mess in PDX and SW WA, so there were a bunch of accidents on I-5 - took him 6 hours - we took an hour delay.

America West PHX-SEA years ago we were delayed 3 hours because the battery in the defibrillator went out and there were none in stock. Had to find one.

Been delayed a few times taking off and landing at PBI thanks to Donald Trump.

Flying a replacement part in but forgetting to actually put the part on the plane.

Some years ago, our flight from CLT-MBJ had a hydraulic pump go out 40 miles from MBJ, had to divert to MIA for replacement. Got to MIA, part wasn't available. Okay, no problem, they decided to fly the part down from CLT. Plane got to MIA...someone forgot to actually put the part on the plane... They tried again, got the part on board, but a weather system had moved in over MIA and they couldn't land. They tried to land in FFL and send the part in by cab, but FFL was under the same weather system. By the time they found a place to land and drove the part to MIA...the crew timed out. A day late and an a hydraulic pump short, as they say.

Flying jfk to lhr and somehow a bird got on the plan. It is very difficult to get a bird off a plane especially a fully loaded plane and apparently you can’t take a bird tatl. Passengers were asked to disembark and I guess they were then able to get the bird off. Operation took about an hour

Photo or it did not happen :p

...well, from your phone, not the other phone! ;)

Flying Southwest, Portland Oregon to LGA with a change who remembers where. It was an early morning flight and we are set for take off. Doors are closed, engine is on and I guess the pilot contacted someone in Southwest for a final approval. It was denied. Apparently the outside of the aircraft had received a thorough cleaning overnight. However, the ninny who may or may not had checked that the mechanical areas of the aircraft to ensure that had to have no water in them, hadn't signed off saying he had checked-- so no clearance to fly. It took over an hour for them to wake someone up and get them to the airport to perform the inspection. Then another 30 minutes inspecting. We were almost 2 hours late in departure. You could see the pilot standing near the now open door to the aircraft. He was visibly steaming. He was up and down the stairs trying to see what was happening.

When we finally took off they went around assuring people who missed connections that they had gotten them alternative flights. BUT, before that the pilot announced, "those of you who are connecting to ___________________( I forget) don't worry, I'M scheduled to fly that one and without me, it isn't leaving!!! Found out latter he was basically fling himself home for a few days!