atrich

I generally have good experiences on Delta, even with irrops. Tonight was an example of a time when I feel like I got tricked into not asking for a flight change, owing to a series of last-minute flight delays (once just as they were supposed to start boarding), accumulating 4hrs so far in flight delays for a little LAX-SEA direct.

There was this iterative sunk-cost fallacy going on in my head, where each time the delay was small enough that I just said "well, what's another hour" and decided it wasn't worth getting a last-row middle seat on Alaska.

Skyclub agent and Twitter support agent both say the delays were crew-related (skyclub: "pilot called in sick," Twitter: "you are waiting for your pilot"). It seems like Delta should have been able to calculate the actual amount of delay, not just repeatedly tacking another hour onto the flight departure. I'm sure the logistics are more complicated than I'm thinking.

When do you decide to cut bait on a flight and start asking for rebookings on other airlines?

rucksack

Arguably crew-related delays are some of the least predictable delays. Replacement crews may be coming inbound on another flight (which can also experience delays), or it may take a while to identify local crew who are able/willing to fly.

My strategy depends on whether a delay is systemic (e.g., weather, ATC, etc.) or idiosyncratic (e.g., maintenance, crew issues, etc.). If the issue is systemic, I usually try to go with the earliest scheduled flight with space, which often is my current flight. If the issue is idiosyncratic, I try to get to any other flight, even if it's scheduled to leave later.

miraclebear2003

We went through multiple delays a week ago on our final leg from MSP to MCO. The app gave us "choices", but nothing helpful. Waiting until the next morning was not a great choice and we hoped it didn't come down to that. It seems like that is the type of choices we get so I haven't had to make a serious decision.

atrich

This is actually great advice! I need to stop treating all delays as equal. Earlier in the day, I didn't know what the exact nature of the delay was, but I did know that the equipment for this flight was on the ground and at the gate. That should have set off some alarm bells that I could be looking at a mechanical or crew issue.

DTWflyer

There are a lot of decision factors involved but the one thing I've always learned is to be proactive and have a plan in mind beforehand for if my flights becomes delayed, disrupted.

Some of my criteria in-mind:

- What is the nature of my trip?
- How time-sensitive / critical is it for me to make it to my destination (e.g., a few hours, next day)
- Are there numerous other alternative flights to my destination? (e.g. throughout the day, other hubs)
- Is buying a cheap one-way on another airline a viable alternative? (e.g., NK, F9, WN)
- Am at a hub or outstation? (e.g., hubs have a lot more resources for maintenance, spare aircraft, reserve crews, flight options, outstations not so much - what could be 30 min maintenance delay in a hub could be 3-4+ hours or worse with limited contract maintenance or if they have to fly in parts/mechanics on the next flight from a hub)
- Where is the aircraft (e.g., on the ground, en-route, has it even departed yet on its prior flight?)
- Is the weather bad here, at my destination, or wherever the aircraft is coming from?

These factors all need to be considered and a lot can be determined simply between the DL app, weather sites, and flight tracking sites like flightaware, and knowledge of airline ops.
A lot of information can be collected and inferred beyond whatever the over-taxed, infrequent-traveling gate agent may tell in their announcements

Often1

There is no one strategy.

A starting point is to consider whether the trip remains worthwhile. If it is not, either from a leisure or business perspective, best to just cancel for a refund.

The Situation

Every delay is unique. As soon as my flight is delayed, I try to get as much information as possible about my scheduled flight and my alternative flights, write down all the options on a piece of paper, the back up plan for each option if I get stranded, and do some research to make sure the backup plan is viable. I cross out any options without a viable back up plan and then pick the option that provides the most upside if things go smoothly. If I was on your flight, I probably would have been on a flight into one of the other LA-area airports or seen about getting a connection through SFO, SLC, or being a bit more creative and connecting through PDX, GEG, etc. as soon as it became clear the flight would be delayed >1 hour.

manually

Every delay is indeed unique
So flying out on 7/16 BDL to MSP to SAN, got the BDL load capacity and volunteered. Next flight was in 20 min BDL to DTW to SAN. The BDL to DTW was fine and the DTW to SAN was to be at 830pm. Bad weather resulted in our plane having to circle and eventually going to MKE for more fuel. Bad weather continued and our delay went from 830 regularly scheduled to 10 then 11 then 1130pm and finally 7am. Delta weather delay didn't give me a hotel which I have heard plats and diamonds occasionally do. The frustrating part was that the 7am flight was delayed an additionaly 1.5 hourish due to not having crew?? ...? They made the delay to 7am but couldn't have find a crew? Why not just delay until the crew would be there? We all could have gotten an extra hour sleep for sure.

DiverDave

I feel your pain.

IME, Delta is the master of creeping delays. Can't even count how many times the departure boards have shown boarding for a flight that doesn't even have an aircraft at the gate.

FF524

Austin787

IME, American is the biggest offender of slow rolling delays. On the other hand, I find United to be most honest about delays - if the inbound aircraft is going to be 1 hour late UA posts a 1 hour delay well before scheduled boarding time.

nystateofmind

I tend to have a high threshhold, especially with Sky Club access. Using the terminology of a previous poster, systemic issues I have more leeway unless the issue is with a connecting airport and I can rebook via a different airport. The reason for this is because everyone operating will have the same issue. At the end of the day, I look at what the last acceptable option would be (be it on Delta or otherwise) and factor in the time to get to the new gate and get everything moved over prior to that flight beginning boarding (if I plan on being there before boarding starts that gives me a cushion in case things take longer). I was looking at a potential for a rolling delay situation last month LAX-JFK because of a maintenance delay. Fortunately there was a wonderful Sky Club agent (younger, but bald gentleman - I wish I had gotten his name). He saw me and the other two people I was flying wiith trudge back to Sky Club and since I am by nature a friendly person I mentioned the delay. He evidently called down to the gate or something to notify them that some pax had come back to the Sky Club because he made an announcement in the Sky Club about the delayed JFK flight boarding. By the time we got to the gate, no more than a minute or two later boarding commenced.