Delta’s secret 5-minute early departures ruin your travel plans – and they don’t even regret it
Flight delays are annoying. Rolling delays are even worse. Sometimes an airline really doesn’t know what’s going to happen. First, an incoming plane is delayed. And another flight is delayed because your crew is just getting off. But just before boarding, they discover a mechanical problem – and what initially seems like a simple problem turns out to be something more time-consuming, like a spare part that will take longer to deliver.
This is all understandable. What is even more frustrating is when an airline clearly knows that a departure time is impossible, but only updates it at the last minute. You are standing at the gate 15 minutes before the scheduled departure and boarding has not yet begun. because the plane is not there and yet the departure is shown as on time. You could have eaten something or stayed longer at the club.
Just as frustrating as late departures – or perhaps even more problematic – is the departure early. It’s the Goldie Locks problem. You plan based on the airline’s schedule, and if you leave early, you have less time than you thought to get to the airport and through security. You could miss your flight!
Post by @svatikirsten
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I especially hate it when airlines publish delays – that is, give new departure times – and then move flights back to their original departure time (or somewhere in between). Departure times should be reliable. Sometimes a flight will be delayed, but except in the most extreme of emergencies, an airline should not move a flight earlier. If there is a four-hour delay, I will not leave home to go to the airport at the originally scheduled time. If I move a flight back, I will not be there to board.
Gates usually close 10 minutes before departure and passengers must be in the gate area 15 minutes before, but the times are relative to the published reference point. If that reference time changes, customers lose out. In this example, it’s a Delta flight that leaves just 5 minutes early. Delta seems to do this more often than other airlines.
Even though it’s “only” 5 minutes, it means the contract of carriage is effectively changed to 15 or 20 minutes, and that’s highly problematic. You may have chosen a Starbucks with a 5 minute wait and your latte means you’re late for your flight.
