Over many years of travel, two times at twenty-four hours each. The first time out of Lima, Peru when AeroPeru decided not to make the Lima to Miami flight that day. They were just going to let us fend for ouselves until the next day and there was much complaining in Spanish as passengers crowded the ticket counter. I could see they weren't getting anywhere (too much confusion), so I approached the counter and quietly, in English, asked to speak to a supervisor. The crowd parted and allowed me to go forward and I explained to the Supervisor that this was unacceptable and we expected to be put up and fed. The crowd murmured agreement and the Supervisor went off to talk to whomever he talks to. He came back in a few minutes and told me (and to this day I don't know why) we would all be bused to a Lima Hotel and given a breakfast voucher and transportation back to the airport the next day. The waiting pasengers cheered and began shaking my hand and slapping me on the back. I was sure they would take us to a dive, but we were bused to a beautiful Colonial Style Hotel in the center of Lima. It was easily a five star. I went down for a drink that evening and could not buy a drink and had to refuse additional drinks or I would have been in trouble.
The second time (again, twenty-four hours) was in Milan when AlItalia personel decide to strike for a day. We were assured the flight would depart at the same time the next day. We were not given lodging and had to find a hotel on our own. I went to an airport "service center" and was imediately informed that, "we do not do cheap hotels." We said that was fine and we would like a nice hotel with a good restaurant. A phone call was made. We were informed we were in luck and asked to pay in advance. We did, caught a cab to the hotel (I thought I noticed the cab driver giving us a funny look) and off we went. Well, the hotel might have been a three star. We had been taken for sure. We decided to stay since it was one night. Bare bones room, tiny TV mounted high on the wall, adequate bathroom, but it was clean. Forunately, the restaurant was good. We walked the town in a drizzle looking for something of interest and we did find a castle (palace?) with the crest of the Medici on it. It was closed, but we walked all around it. It was really interesting. There wasn't much else in the town and we only got Italian TV at the hotel. Did a lot of reading that day and night. AlItalia went out the next day as promised.

A couple overnighters. One coming back from Haiti to discover the air traffic controllers strike when we landed in Miami. My daughter and I slept on the airport floor with thousands of others that night. We did get out on an early flight the next morning.

Second time was also coming back from Haiti. We almost didn't get to leave Haiti because of an impending hurricane. We finally got a flight to NYC instead of Miami and somehow managed to get to Dallas before the hurricane hit. My friend lives in Dallas so we both stayed at her place and I left for LA the next day.

I wasn't late for work so that wasn't a problem.

My longest delay was last year when we were supposed to be returning from Bermuda. We got caught in Hurrican Fabian, which devastated the island. We were suppposed to leave on Saturday, the hurrican hit on Friday, and we were not able to get out until Wednesday. So, total delay was 4 days. Was like being on Gilligan's Island.

Mine was 30 hours, DC to Singapore no delays just air/connection time.

Oops misread topic, longest flight delay was about 12 hours, waiting for parts and mechanics from New Zealand on Cook Islands.

4 days on 9/11/01. I wasn't coming into the country... just flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles that morning. The pilot handled it brilliantly... told us a story about something being wrong with the air traffic control system so we wouldn't freak out over having to land in Austin, TX. Then he told us the truth at the gate.

Our charter company went under in 1972 and I'm still waiting for the flight I paid for, YVR-PIK. What do you think of my chances?

Working on the Aleutians I had numerous week-long delays, many of which entailed days standing on the airstrip hearing the airplane moaning around up above the soup, looking for a keyhole. The sound of the engine noise diminishing is something I'll never forget.

One night my BA flight YVR-LHR hadn't arrived by the time it was to have taken off, so I went to the GA and asked... "Oh, another hour or so."

Two hours later: "Oh, probably another hour yet."

And again, now 5 hours late: "I'll check."

Finaly at T+7 hours they announced that the incoming plane had mechanicaled over Iceland and had been diverted to BOS, and that the company had decided to put us on another 747 that had just left LHR empty to come for us. Final arrival was +14 hrs. OTOH we all got to ride in front, so my hard luck story had a decent ending. I missed my business meeting that afternoon. Oh pity.

On another occasion we had to wait at BOS for 6 or 7 hours because our plane was being turned following its use by Pres. Reagan's press corps, who had left it, in the words of the AA people, "in a state."

These delays weren't especially long compared to some of the stories here, but it was irritating to have two consecutive vacations to Europe get off to a bad start.

The first was in 1981 when the US arir traffic controllers were threatening to go on strike when I was flying to London. They didn't strike at that time, but the ENGLISH CONTROLLERS DID!
Fortunately, foreigners aren't real good at striking and they only stayed out 8 hours. I had to spend that time in the Minneapolis airport. Believe me, that felt like 80 hours!

On my next trip - to Frankfurt - I looked out the window at our plane at JFK. They seemed to be working on the engine. After delaying the plane for a couple of hours, they decicded to tell us that they needed to change the engine (or something major) that took several more hours. After we boarded, the crew discovered that someone did not pick up their duty free packages on board. Oh oh! Maybe someone didn't get on the flight, but maybe their luggage with a bomb in it did. Everyone off the plane, get your luggage on this side of the room and take it over to be reloaded on the other side of the room!

Gardyloo,
Love hearing your stories and advice, keep at it. Thanks.

Our longest delay was also immediately following Sep 11 - 4 days in Calgary - but I will always treasure the memory of our final day long wait in a queue at the airport and the interesting people we got to meet and speak to that day.
We are Australians and were en route for Chicago/London/Egypt/home.

I might only add I think its strange for a boss to mistrust an employee for a flight delay. Do you normally have difficulty returning from a trip? If so, as a boss I'd sure be suspicious. In my business we travel all the time and we do do certain things such as opting for a red eye from west coast, land first thing am next day east coast and stay home but thats expected. Perhaps I'm in a more relaxed place of work, we don't ever question travel...those of us that do are hard working put in more hours on the road and duly show up for work...just seems no need. Anyone wants a job let me know lol