Best excuse you've heard why your flight is delayed
 

Hello, everyone. <BR>What is the strangest, most ridiculous or most laughable excuse you've heard from a reservation agent, gate agent or anyone associated with an airline? <BR> <BR>

I think the best one I heard was in Salt Lake City. We were already behind schedule, so I asked the agent for an estimated departure time. <BR>He said something to the effect that as soon as the crew got done cleaning and loading food we could board. <BR>There was one slight flaw in his story: <BR>there was no aircraft at the gate!! <BR>I just laughed. It is not good form to call people liars even when they are. <BR>

The worst for me (because we had to stay in Newark, NJ for 24 hours instead of flying to Ireland) was that our plane couldn't take off from Baltimore because it couldn't land in Newark because the runways were so crowded with planes that couldn't take off from Newark because there were thunderstorms in the Midwest.

PS - The connecting flight from Baltimore to Newark was just a puddle jumper that probably could have landed on the parking lot.

From the now defunct Kiwi Airlines <BR>(a U.S carrier), <BR>Our 10 hr delay was due to <BR>1- there was no plane, it had "disappeared" at it's take -off point. <BR> end of explanation. <BR>2-The airline finally found us a plane, a UPS cargo carrier, that was converted with seats and windows , to accommodate us. <BR>When it landed with all the tired, angry passengers, and it's crew; <BR>We , waiting passangers, knew we were in trouble when the crew also debarked, and said to us <BR>"Good Luck" as they walked past us. <BR>It turned out that this crew now had too much airtime to fly anymore! <BR> and the airline had to fly a crew in from the midwest. <BR>Then, said crew arrived, and went off to eat a relaxing restaurant dinner. <BR>So, first there were passangers with=out a plane, trying to make their way to Florida, and a crew. <BR>then , there was a plane, but no crew. <BR> <BR> Meanwhile, we passangers sat at the gate, being admonished by the airline rep, <BR>to not upset this crew, because if they got angry at us, <BR>"they would leave without us!!" <BR>It got to be a joke, but a not too funny one. <BR>One interesting feature was the growing number of police who accompanied this rep. <BR>Each time she appeared, to chastize us for our impatience, and tell us the latest developments, she had one more police person with her! <BR> <BR>I truly think this airline expected a riot. <BR> <BR>By the time we finally got to our destination, we could have hired a bus, and driven 3/4 of the way <BR>(and this was a 1600 mile trip!) <BR> <BR>Once, in Trinadad, my husband and I sat for 12 hrs, because the airline <BR>"gave our plane away " to tourists going to Barbados. <BR>These tourists were all caucasians, from Europe. <BR>We, although caucasian also, were on a flight , filled with all islanders, going to St. Vincent. <BR>It was really astounding to me, that the airline did something so blatant; <BR>hold up one group of travelers <BR>(local islanders), to get another group of travelers (well-to-do tourists)to their destination. <BR>We, the ones without a plane, were told that our plane was having "difficulties" <BR>Right. <BR> <BR>

On an end-of-workday flight from NYC to Chicago, we landed in Milwaukee to wait out the rainstorm that had disabled O'Hare. That was the story. But a dozen or more businessmen on that flight got on their cell phones, called their wives to alert them to the rain delay and were assured, one and all, that Chicago was perfectly sunny. At which point a planeload of don't-&%#@-with-me execs, tired after a day's business in NYC, demanded the truth and the crew, which was sworn to secrecy, started handing out free top-shelf liquor. <BR> <BR>Turned out Chicago's entire air traffic system had gone down. Why the airline thought a planeload of drunk passengers speculating about terrorism was better than a planeload of sober passengers who knew the truth remains unknown!

After waiting four hours in Miami for a plane to the Bahamas, I finally asked the ticket agent why we were waiting so long. She said our plane had been hit by lightning on the way to Miami and the nose had been blown off, but they would fix it before we boarded. I prayed a lot on that flight.

On a flight from the British Virgin Islands last month, we landed in Miami and were going to resume the final flight leg home on the same plane and had 45 minutes to deplane and stretch our legs... <BR> <BR>After THREE hours I asked why it was taking so long... <BR> <BR>"Oh! No big deal, the plane you came in on...they discovered a hole in the cargo hold and it is unsafe to fly now." <BR> <BR>(No kidding here) She added, "We have to wait for another plane, 747's don't just fall out of the sky you know, these things take time!" <BR>Sigh. <BR> <BR>Eight hours later I flew home at 2 a.m. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Hour after hour our flight was delayed between Atlanta and Jacksonville, Fl. The excuses included the usual bad weather, etc. The final straw was when the desk agent told us the flight was finally cancelled because...THE PILOT WAS SO PISSED OFF WITH THE DELAYS THAT HE WENT HOME. No pilot no flight. Can you believe it, we gave up and drove the 5 hours to Jax. <BR>A.M.

What I thought was the most laughable excuse actually turned out to be true. Years ago, my TWA flight from Paris to the USA was delayed for more than two hours "because of bunnies on the runway," according to the gate agent. When we finally did take off, I looked down, and you could see swarms of rabbits in the grassy areas surrounding the runways. I've since learned that the bunny population at CDG is indeed a problem and sometimes causes plane delays. But you have to wonder why the rabbits don't just scatter when the engines fire up - also, what kind of a problem bunnies on the runway could be for planes landing! You hate to think...

Dumb bunnies!

We got delayed by a cow one time. It was in a small one runway airport and some cows broke down the fence and came into graze. It was pretty funny watching the airport personnel try to round up the cows with their cars!

I was delayed 3 hours once, on the tarmac, because the handbrake was stuck on. <BR> <BR>Unfortunately, in fixing the handbrake, they had to fiddle with the hydraulics which is why it took so long - a lot of that time was spent checking that the hydraulics were OK so that we could fly safely. The flight was only supposed to be three hours, but we spent over six hours on the plane.

We'd been sitting on the plane for 30 mins at Heathrow waiting for a take-off slot when the pilot told us they'd noticed a crack in the windscreen! <BR>I'm quite glad they 'noticed' it when they did really! I'm not in a hurry to fly with Garuda again.

"We have no crew; they're flying over from London" (this is at Logan Airport) <BR> <BR>"Fog"...in San Francisco. We were picked up at SFO by friends who said it had been the sunniest day that year.

"The crew is giving a birthday party for one of the attendants."

United called us at home to say our afternoon flight out of Dulles would be delayed due to weather, although skies were clear. But they called us at 8:00 a.m., so how did they know the weather would be bad by afternoon? <BR> <BR>Perhaps due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Poppycock.

Cindy - maybe your flight was delayed on its inward journey, that is the plane for your flight was coming from somewhere else where the weather was bad?

On an Alitalia flight from Chicago to Milan: "The plane, she is not well." (I love those gendered articles) <BR>Went home, rented a couple of movies, crashed for 5 hours, went back to the airport and it was smooth flying from there. Except of course it's Alitalia, so there is always something wierd going on...

You guys, I know the story I'm about to relay seems utterly outrageous, but I promise it's true. Flight from Detroit Metro airport to LaGuardia was delayed about 45 minutes. The pilot was late getting to the airport & received a speeding ticket on the way to Metro. (I won't mention which airline I was flying.) Anyway, the gate crew told us this & told us he got off the hook on the traffic ticket by telling the cop the truth: his wife's ovulation test came out favorably & he had to stay & make her pregnant! <BR>BC

I worked at Continental in Newark for about a year while I was in college back in 1987. <BR> <BR>I was working a gate with a colleague one evening. The public reason for the delay, "a minor mechanical problem that should take just a few minutes." <BR> <BR>The real reason, the idiot flight attendant (and the station that the plane left from) neglected to tell us there was an "Unaccompanied Minor" on board the plane. The girl, who was in her early teens, got off the plane by herself. By the time the F.A. mentioned the girl, the flight had been on the ground for about 10 minutes. <BR> <BR>The manager on duty made the flight attendant lead the search party for the young lady. Fortunately, the girl was smart enough to head to baggage claim. We found her and brought her to her waiting parents with bags in hand. They really appreciated that extra service we provided. <BR> <BR>Moral of this story, if you send your child on a plane by themself, make sure you meet them at the gate.

From the many delays, the one that they should have made up something better.... <BR> <BR>After sitting on the runway for four hours, the announcement finally told us that we had to sit there that long with no power for the plane to cool down so that they could replace a sticker that fell off of the cockpit "dashboard".

Well, after sitting on the (running) plane for oh, a couple of hours or so, we were told that we would be sitting there a while longer, because there was not enough fuel to get us all the way to England. So they fueled up the plane (I guess), and we sat there for another 30 minutes or so, and then the flight attendant announced that we would be sitting there another half hour or so (actually, it was another hour and a half) because they put too much fuel in the plane and we had to burn some of it off.

With Sabena, from Brussels to Lisbon. We had to wait in the plane, for almost three hours, because some technical problem. After an hour more details where available - the front toilet. <BR>And we where waiting for a technician. <BR>And I did see some "land plumber" with large "plumber tools" going to the front toilet. 45 minutes later we took off. <BR>

I don't know if this was true or not, but at Paris CDG, my flight to IAD (Wash DC) was delayed about 3 hrs by Air France because they said the plane needed a part that had to be flown in from the US (NY I think). Given Paris is their hub, I thought maybe they should have spare parts there. Maybe the "part" was a pilot or something, who knows.

The Air France story is interesting. My daughter was delayed by a day out of Newark on Air France because they were waiting for a part from France!

London to Manchester - 35min fligth, 5 to 8 a day, tickets can be paid on board. <BR>We are taxing to take off, Cap. starts informing passangers ,that we will be arriving in Manchester within the schedule. <BR>Lady passanger next to me, asks me : <BR>"Did he say Manchester??" <BR>I:"That is what I heard and why I'm in this plane" <BR>Lady:"ohoh, but I'm going to Edinburgh", so rings te bell, and assistant comes over, she flashes a red (Diplomatic) passport, says "I must go to Edinburgh". <BR>And he gets passport, goes to cabin and the planes turns back to drop her. <BR>"Official excuse" - the truth - passenger on the wrong plane. <BR>Actual departure - almost two hours later. <BR>

I can no longer remember which airport, or which airline (there have been so many), but the most succinct response I've received to date about why my flight was delayed was, " the plane is broken". <BR> <BR>PB

Nope. The incoming flight was coming from Boston. Weather was beautiful all up and down the East Coast. <BR> <BR>Maybe it was really Tropical Storm Cockin' Bull.

Friend of mine, en route from Uganda to Heathrow, took in stride the following: "they're searching the bars for the pilot so he can fly the plane."

I forget where it happened (in the US somewhere), or what airline it was, but the funniest we ever saw was the time we were delayed boarding due to mechanical difficulties, then pulled back from the gate but aborted the takeoff due to, yep, mechanical difficulties. The truth was more like mechanic difficulties. The lower emergency hatch opens, a head pops up through the floor, and we hear a voice saying, "Be patient, dammit, I know that f***ing wrench has to be in this engine somewhere. I've checked twice and it's not in my toolbox. This was the last place I had it."

Our flight out of Kauai was delayed by 3 days when Hurricane Iniki blew down the control tower. (The only good excuse of the bunch I would say).

Just have to top this one! <BR>Great bunch of stories :-)

British Airways flight from Lyon, France to Heathrow: We are waiting to rollback from the gate and the pilot comes on the PA system to announce, "It appears we'll be a bit delayed, as the French Air Force has just decided to have military maneuvers in the airspace surrounding Lyon." The jets flew around for about an hour...

Not being the world's greatest passenger, I was delighted to hear the Captain's voice coming over the intercom on our BA flight from Gatwick to Antigua - "I expect you are wondering why we are surrounded by fire engines on our right side. Our smoke detectors have signalled a fire in the hold! As we have one particular hazardous item on board we will be off loading this as soon as possible." Personally, I thought a full compliment of 747 passengers would be more important and I was ready to off load myself! <BR>On the same flight we stopped at Barbados to refuel. The air con was switched off and the doors opened. Obviously it started to get quite warm in the cabin. It finally emerged that the reverse thrust on the engines were not working properly and they were trying to find the engine diagrams to fix it. It took yonks!

Great rush to the airport to catch the early plane from Guilin to Guangchow. Past the X-ray, into the lounge, and we sit...for 12 hours. Why? Dust on the runway, we are told. While other planes arrive and depart. And until we have bought enough in their gift shop and snack bar.

The gate agent told us that our flight (JFK to Montego Bay, Jamaica) was "delayed " because the plane had been confiscated by federal agents in Miami. It seems a nervous drug dealer had attempted to flush certain goods, bags and all, down the toilet in the bathroom, causing an enormous flood on the plane, and putting an immediate end to his career.

ttt

"We're having trouble securing the musk oxen in the cargo compartment." Nome, Wien Consolidated Airlines (RIP).

Flying from San Juan to MayaguezSaying the weather was to bad to fly. Then telling other people that they missed the flight. They just didnt want to fly since there were only 4 of us. We flew on a very tiny plane.