Thursday, a flight from Detroit to Philadelphia was delayed. Normally, this is not news, however this particular delay shows how the airlines still are not aware of how to deal with “timing out” but are well aware of new federal rules regarding delays and how passengers are treated.
The Delta flight, originally scheduled to depart at 5:40 p.m. did not board until approximately 7:30 p.m due to weather delays in Philly, and then the fun began.
The 125 passengers boarded the plane only to sit and wait. They were not told that flight crew disappeared, presumably to the Fox Sports Bar. Once a new flight crew was found by 10:30 p.m. passengers were informed that the flight attendants had “timed out” (which, by the way, is the most annoying thing to hear, but more on that later). Sometime after 11 p.m., with sober pilots and fresh flight attendants stalking the aisles, the flight finally took off.
Delta's method for flight crew scheduling
Delta, having not left the gate, informed passengers that they were free to come and go off the plane. Because the plane did not leave the gate, the flight was not subject to new federal guidelines regarding passengers delayed in the plane on the tarmac. Delta, by not having left the gate and allowing passengers to get off the plane, is not subject to a possible $27,500 fine per passenger due to the delay.
Now to “timing out”. I understand the FAA law. That is fine. I don’t want an overworked pilot or flight attendant. That is not the issue. The issue is the fact that airlines have zero grasp on the schedules of their crews. Why the airlines don’t have better contingency plans for delays and the affect on a flight crew’s schedule is beyond me. Delays happen, yes. But airlines should be ready for situations where delays happen and a flight crew times out. They send planes out to runways only to be returned back to the gate because the crew will time out sometime mid-flight. Didn’t anyone realize that before? There oughta be a law about this… oh, wait, there probably will be.
