Classic Russia

I've almost had this one, although it was the FA asking those in the first few rows if they could fly the plane as the pilots were on a late running inbound flight!

Oh god...my dream scenario!! :cool: Why yes, m'lady, I can! I have plenty of hours in a bug-smashin' 172 and that totally qualifies me to fly this 737.

You need to go but opted not to visit the bathroom in the terminal because boarding started early - over an hour before scheduled departure time.

You have an onward flight on a separate ticket for the last flight of the day, with only 45 minutes between scheduled time of arrival of this flight and scheduled time of departure for the next one.

You see fire trucks rushing out onto the Tarmac.

The first hint is that other flights departing at the same time have their gate number displayed but yours does not.

Flight attendants bust out 50-year old packs of playing cards.

I had that happen once. The airline no longer exists.

Your flying United Express out of O'Hare on a snowy day.

The OP asked for subtle. That's a neon sign blinking "LATE". :D

When did United go away? I still have flights booked on them :D

Ugh isn't tgat the truth. The flight I'm supposed to take tomorrow has been wx cx the last two days. At least the forecast for tomorrow looks good.

^
Or US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin.

You and about 100+ people are at the gate, including agents busy behind the "podium" at T minus 60, and look out the window, there's no aircraft at the end of the jet bridge and no catering trucks, and, no ground crew on the tarmac, etc. The arrival monitors are flashing in the distance and there are last minute gate changes announced over the PA ...

Any flight other than first flight of the morning out of a high-delay airport (e.g. SFO, ORD).

Any flight into a high-delay airport.