Catbert10

Most celebrities I've seen have either boarded with the normal folk or with the normal pre-board folk. For VIPs who don't board normally, it's more often I've seen them hustled aboard at the very last minute after the gate area is cleared.

OHDL1

Delta does have the D0 metric.

Duke787

As a primary metric? Since when?

Kirby was a big proponent of it at AA and then at UA. To the point of being maniacal about D0.

Have never seen it as a big driver at DL — they seem more concerned with on time arrival vs D0 departure

golfr

VIP but not VIP enough to travel privately.

tardyturtle

^^THIS

I was once on a flight with Eric Cantor, who was the house majority leader at the time. Someone from his security detail handed a piece of paper to the GA before boarding started. He and his detail were in Row 1 and presumably boarded last (they weren’t on board when I boarded in “Main 1” or whatever it was called back then). A police detail came to escort him to baggage claim where he and his aides had to wait with everyone else for their bags while police held an elevator for him.

It would seem like the best way to ensure privacy is to board absolute last so all of the boarding passengers don’t parade past you as they board. I could see holding the plane at the gate after boarding is complete for them to board last but it doesn’t make sense to delay the start of boarding.

cmd320

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of this at DL. I personally think the way it has been implemented by ex-LCC management (Kirby/Parker) at AA and UA could go down as one of the greatest stories of airline mismanagement in modern history. With that said, DL seems to approach D0 with a much more realistic view of the realities of airline operations, something Kirby and Parker are woefully under qualified to manage.

With that said, screw the ‘celeb’ and board the flight on time. If I were on the flight I’d certainly complain to DL about this practice.

BenA

This is a formal program Delta offers as a paid service at certain airports: https://www.businessinsider.com/delt...parazzi-2015-6

apodo77

More to do with DL (and other airlines) padding of schedules.
But please continue to make the original poster out to be the bad one.

davie355

+1

True VIPs do not fly commercial. They are contractually prohibited from public transportation.

If you perceive the general public as a security threat and need your bodyguard(s) in flight, then you would board as discreetly as possible, not with as much pomp and fashion as possible.

ss278

Several years ago I was flying JFK-LAX on AA in first. I had an aisle seat. The window was vacant and I thought I’d move over once airborne. Just as the door was about to close a woman was escorted onboard and of course that vacant seat was hers.

Turned out to be Katie Couric. She was very nice, and made no demands on anyone. We got to talking and even shared our lunches (different entrees).

When we arrived in LA there was another agent who quickly came aboard and escorted her off, however, not before she gave me a hug and thanked me for being a great seat companion.

Some celebs can be nice, real people.

ND76

I don't recall it causing a delay, but several years ago at DCA I was one of the last to board an early morning flight to ATL (I was drinking in the SkyClub, having a great conversation with a bartender and losing track of time); when I got down the jetway, I was sized up by three uniformed police officers who then stepped aside and let me board. I had an upgrade that day, and when the FA took my PDB order, I asked her what was going on, and she told me Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter would be on our flight. Despite having not been in office for over 30 years, they had a significant security detail which involved six secret service agents who flew on the plane with them, two in 4A-B (the Carters were in 3 A-B) and four more who sat in seats scattered around coach.

The Carters and their entourage were driven to the plane in a short motorcade, and they boarded up the metal stairs leading from the tarmac to the bottom of the jetway. The former president shook hands with the pilots and then came around and shook hands with each of us who were in first. It was actually very nice and has remained a fond memory of mine. After he finished his rounds in first, he sat down, the boarding door closed, we pushed back pretty quickly, and I think we were number one for departure. When we got to ATL, the captain asked us to remain seated while the Carters and the secret service got off first. The youngest of the six secret service agents had charge of Rosalynn's six carry-ons; I told him as he walked by that he had the glamor detail. They went down the metal stairs and got in their government vehicle.

tvtd

You, sir, win the internet!

Rhinolicious

Celebrity or no celebrity, ‘this’ is one of my pet peeves and it occurs often

the onboard announcements hurrying because of the countdown to scheduled departure, ’need you to clear the aisles so we can have an on time departure’

not the paying passengers problem, you and your company need to figure out how to meet your on time departure not me.

me/we didn’t start boarding late. And the passengers aren’t going to make us late, it’s Deltas systems and policies

if it’s that much of a big deal, start with bag fees and the entire dysfunctional boarding experience which is delta 90% of the time.

me stepping off my soap box......

sydneyracquelle

Pretty crazy. Stephen Harper who was until recently Prime Minister of Canada for 9.5 years from 2006-2015 now takes the subway in Calgary alone.

Lomapaseo

Probably just another Delta 360 running late from the lounge