hockeyinsider

My cousin needed to fly home from the family cabin and was delayed a couple of hours on the morning Pellston PLN–Detroit DTW flight on a CRJ-200 operated by Sky West for Delta. This is the milk-run that starts in Alpena APN, goes to PLN and then continues onward. It's DL7369.

Turns out this flight has been pretty much delayed almost every day for weeks. Yesterday, it was delayed 8 hours! See here: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/...135Z/KPLN/KDTW

I have a hard time believing all this is weather-related. Is it a lack of mechanics in these out-stations or something else?

Keep in mind, Delta could just cancel these flights and drive passengers down to Detroit. It's a 4-hour drive. Alternatively, Traverse City and Midland–Bay City–Saginaw, both of which are served by more than one airline and as a result have more frequencies, are 2 hours away by car.

I couldn't imagine spending 8 hours stuck in Pellston or Alpena. Why wouldn't Delta cancel a flight after 8 hours?

3Cforme

I fixed the hyperbolic thread title for you.

3Cforme - Delta Forum Moderator

Often1

Why would anyone wait 8 hours for a 4 or 6 hour drive anywhere in the US? If OP's cousin was better off driving, all he needed to do was to cancel his DL ticket for a full refund and rent a car. We all make choices and OP's cousin made his. Whether this happens 3 days a week or year only matters to the passenger on the day of his flight.

As to why fly, there are people on the outbound so if DL flies out, it either ferries the aircraft back empty or it leaves it on the apron forever to rust.

indufan

I don't have other answers for you. Delta is known for not cancelling flights at almost all cost. All-in-all, I think that is a good policy as most will find another option but if they don't that flight is still an option.

hockeyinsider

My guess -- and it's only a guess -- is these are mechanical or non-weather issues. If Delta cancels the flight because of the mechanical or non-weather issue then they have to pay compensation. If it's weather, they don't even have to give you a hotel. Right? By delaying and delaying, they are avoiding compensation or paying a couple hundred dollars to reimburse someone renting a one-way car rental for the drive to Detroit.

Often1

Where do you get that? There is no compensation for delayed flights in the US. DL does not "have" to do anything.

DL also reports the reason for a cancellation or delay to DOT. Making a false statement to DOT is a felony. Before making accusations, I would want facts.

hockeyinsider

When I've had canceled flights or highly delayed flights because of mechanical reasons, Delta has provided a hotel, reimbursed meals, gave me future travel vouchers, and even covered a rental car or Uber to the next closest airport. When I've had canceled flights or highly delayed flights because of weather, Delta has never gave me more than maybe a meal voucher at the airport. If that's not compensation I don't know what is.

My cousin told me the DGS manager at Pellston, Sky West the pilot and first officer, and the airport manager all told passengers it was a mechanical issue. Delta said it was weather. Who would you believe?

DTWflyer

The weather in Northern Michigan and/or DTW has been very difficult for the past 2-3 weeks.

The last two weeks of January had snow almost every day and they got 30-40 inches during that period, which isn't terribly unusual for Northern Michigan but could potentially cause some delays.

The bigger problem in the last two weeks of January was more on the DTW end, which saw several snow events, following by a severe icing event that closed the airport for 14+ hours, and then a week later an extreme cold snap. All of which compounds delays, and put aircraft and crews out of position. The regionals have less degrees of freedom for schedule recovery, typically have less spare crews/resources available to recover from irregular operations.

This past week, the problems have been more on the Northern Michigan end as with all the snow there has now been a warm-up. They had a freezing rain events and with the warmer air over the colder snowpack dense fog. I venture to guess the delays Tuesday were due to the ice and then fog in the region.

Add in the fact, this is likely one of the lower prioirity routes this time of the year, and it falls under EAS, if they are delayed crews and airplanes at DTW, they may just give this route the short end of the stick.
Some delays may even be crew rest related as well if aircraft are late inbound the prior day, depending how they layover crews.

I strongly do believe most of these delays are direct or indirectly related to weather in Northern Michigan, DTW, or due to resource constraints from weather in other parts of the OO CR2 network.

eastindywalrus

1. Because driving from Alpena or Pellston to Detroit in the middle of a rough Michigan winter is not a 4-hour drive - probably closer to the 6, and quite possibly a nail-biter for much of the way.
2. Because parking at APN and PLN is free. You have to consider gas to Detroit, and then you have the wonderful privilege of paying a small fortune to park at DTW, even if you park in one of the shuttle lots.

hockeyinsider

It's quite possible it is weather, but given the fact that Sault Ste. Marie, Marquette, Traverse City, and Midland–Bay City–Saginaw all seem to be operating with on-time or nearly on-time flights on the same days as substantial delays in and out of Pellston and Alpena makes me thing it is more related to old CRJ-200s and the lack of mechanics at Pellston or Alpena should something go wrong.

I also wonder the protocol here if Delta says it is weather but Sky West says it is mechanical because Delta, not Sky West, is the one providing any compensation. Then you have the issue that the ground staff in these small out-stations aren't Delta employees. I don't know how much authority contracted DGS staff in these circumstances.

My cousin says the Pellston airport manager told him the contingency agreement they have with Delta is for the airline to pay for vans or rental cars for passengers needing to get to Detroit when the flight is canceled, but by not canceling the flight -- even after 8 hours -- they don't have to pay what would probably be several thousand dollars for a plane of 40-50 passengers.

Often1

If you believe that DL managers filed a false report with DOT in order to avoid their own customer service gesture, then report it to the US Attorney and be done with it.

estedman

You gotta remember that when the delays start most likely they are delaying it by and hour at a time, so before you know it; yes you could have driven to Detroit but then after 6-7 hours you are like screw it I'll wait for the flight.

beachmouse

Rebooking via TC or Saginaw is probably an easy option the GA can give if there is space available. Delta's usually pretty good about that kind of thing during IRROPS. The problem is getting there if you aren't a local.

And yeah, I also suspect Essential Air Service agreements may impact how the route is run.

As for mechanical and weather, there can end up being multiple causes of a delay, and it's not necessarily a conspiracy if you get two different responses that end up both being correct.

doublerriff

Interesting, I heard, and this is hearsay, that planes will turn around instead of land because runway is bad (ie snow), when there is no issue with it. Do I believe the flight crew or ground crew?

Lux Flyer

Or is it that those old CRJ-200s can't fly in the weather conditions and the planes they are using on these other routes can?

Also regarding your point earlier about DL providing compensation, yes typically if it their fault they will give you a hotel voucher, and other good-will gesture; whereas weather they tend to not do anything. However, regardless of the reason for a delay/cancellation, there is NO LEGAL OBLIGATION whatsoever for the airline to provide that. The fact that they do is purely a customer service gesture to make-up for the inconvenience. They could just as easily tell customers to go pound sand. Their only obligation in the event of cancellation or significant delays is to get you to your destination on the next available flight with seats still available or refund your ticket if you request it instead of flying.