NW 1445 on 2-12, (DTW-MSP) - Comedy of Errors!
 

Flight boards a few minutes late, no big deal.

Everyone is buckled in, we taxi from the gate (Gate A66), make it about 400 yards and stop.

After about 10 minutes, we're told that we need to return to the gate to have the maintenance folks look at something. We head back to the gate.

They open the doors, mechanic come on. A few minutes later the FA offers the pax in F a drink.....not a good sign, we're gonna be here a bit. Captain announces that its will be 2 hours to fix the problem, and that they will have to try to find us another plane. Grab your bags and get off. {This is when I call the Plat. line, and get set up for another flight later that night.}

So the herd wanders across the hall to a different gate (gate A67) where another plane has just arrived, after it unloads, our same flight crew boards, and the cleaning crew does their thing....we start the boarding process again. The FA in F passes out another round of drinks. Doors close, but before we taxi out.....another mechanical sign off is needed (on a second plane altogether!) Grab your bags and get off! This time we need to head to gate A7 for a third try......PRESTO! we finally get in the air and get on our way.

Departure: Scheduled: 3:27PM Actual: 6:31PM

I wonder, since I sat on 3 planes, IF I SHOULD GET 3 SEGMENTS???

Kudos, however, to the GAs, the FAs, and the folks in the flight deck. They kept their cool, rolled with the punches, and eventually got us out of there. By the third attempt, the FA in F knew what each of us was drinking, and which seat number to write on the coat hanger tag as we boarded, without having to ask the pax. The crew definitely helped prevent a bad situation from turning ugly.

Ha! And NWA.com says:

I am convinced that the stated reasons for delays are fabricated, lies or just figments of gate agents' imagination. So often they are not correct.

Somoene posted here once that only the last delayed reason gets posted on nwa.com. I myself have seen some of the plane logs and can confirm they enter multiple reasons along the way as they are delayed.

So, if they were all loaded on the third plane, and ready to go, but they had to load baggage, the captain probably logged that last. However, if you TTU they can see the entire delay history.

At least you got drinks served while you sat! :p
Similar situation happened to me a few weeks back. Three different planes with an eight hour arrival delay. Plat line very helpful, GA's not.
Send TTU a note with mileage request, although a three hour delay isn't all that bad lately:(.
You won't get segment creds but should get mileage bonus posted into your account - IF you ask for it.
(I asked for segment creds in my situation and was reminded of the policy "flown segments only).
When flying SEA-OGG last October, did a turn-around and emergency landing back in SEA and asked for segment cred for air time based on the policy of a take-off and landing. But as it was the same flight number - no luck.
Ah well, good luck - you never know what TTU will give you so ask for whatever you want!

Wow... when it rains it pours! I hate those days. And yes... the public only sees the latest delay code. That's why many times you'll see late due to inbound a/c, when in fact there were usually other factors contributing to the delay. There is an internal way of viewing the entire history of a flight. So no... it's not a conspiracy to cover up information, a plan to lie to the passengers or a deal amongst the employees to divert attention.

Well, too bad it was a DC9, but for waiting to plane/deplane twice, maybe its good it was smaller. And at least the 3rd gate was a quick hop on the tram.

Flightstats is good for watching all the hop-hop action too:

Feb 12 10:48 PM Airline Gate Adjustment

* Departure Gate Changed From A7 To A66
* Arrival Gate Changed From G19 To A66

Feb 12 11:03 PM Airline Time Adjustment

* Estimated Gate Departure Changed From 02/12/09 05:50 PM To 02/12/09 06:00 PM
* Estimated Gate Arrival Changed From 02/12/09 06:46 PM To 02/12/09 06:56 PM
* Departure Gate Changed From A66 To A7
* Arrival Gate Changed From A66 To G19

Feb 12 11:03 PM Airline Gate Adjustment

* Departure Gate Changed From A7 To A66
* Arrival Gate Changed From G19 To A66

Feb 12 11:16 PM FAA Time Adjustment

* Estimated Runway Departure Changed From 02/12/09 03:43 PM To 02/12/09 06:38 PM
* Estimated Runway Arrival Changed From 02/12/09 04:13 PM To 02/12/09 07:08 PM

Feb 12 11:43 PM Airline STATUS-Active

* Actual Gate Departure Changed From 02/12/09 03:26 PM To 02/12/09 06:31 PM
* Estimated Gate Arrival Changed From 02/12/09 06:56 PM To 02/12/09 07:27 PM
* Status Changed From Scheduled To Active
* Departure Gate Changed From A66 To A7
* Arrival Gate Changed From A66 To G19

That is very possible and thanks for the insight. But I know for a fact that the true reason is not always recorded. I was waiting for an arriving aircraft and it was clearly announced that the aircraft was late due to having to return to the gate at the originating city for maintenance (the aircraft was still on the ground in the originating city when the announcement was made). Not too long thereafter, our flight was canceled for "weather" and there truly were no weather issues either at the originating city, my city, or MSP which was the destination of the aircraft.

I'm fairly impressed that NW changed you in/out of two extra planes in 3 hrs.
That's pretty good, even if you are at a hub.

Of course! :cool:

NW probably puts a priority on getting a new plane for a DTW-MSP run—otherwise, they're disrupting a lot of travel...

Agreed, lots of crew were on the flight too, most likely deadheading or on their way home.