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Delta's early departures cause disruptions for travelers

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Delta's early departures cause disruptions for travelers
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View from the Wing | View from the Wing

Flight delays are a common inconvenience for travelers, with rolling delays adding to the frustration. Sometimes, airlines face unpredictable situations such as delayed inbound aircraft or unforeseen mechanical issues that prolong repairs. These scenarios, while inconvenient, are often understandable.

However, what passengers find particularly frustrating is when an airline is aware that a departure time is unfeasible but fails to update it until the last moment. "You’re standing at the gate 15 minutes to scheduled departure and boarding hasn’t started yet because the plane isn’t there yet the flight still shows as departing on-time," one traveler expressed. This lack of timely communication can leave passengers feeling stranded and unable to make alternative plans.

Equally problematic, if not more so, are early departures. Passengers plan their airport arrival based on published schedules; any deviation from these times can result in missed flights. A frequent flyer shared their annoyance: "I especially hate when airlines publish delays – give new departure times – and then move flights back to their original departure time (or something in between)."

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Gates typically close 10 minutes before departure, requiring passengers to be present in the gate area at least 15 minutes prior. When airlines alter these reference points without sufficient notice, customers can miss their flights. One Delta passenger noted that even a slight change of five minutes could have significant repercussions: "Delta seems to do this more than other airlines."

The impact of these changes goes beyond mere inconvenience. The same traveler highlighted how minor schedule adjustments could disrupt travel plans significantly: "While it’s ‘only’ 5 minutes, it means that they’re effectively changing the contract of carriage to 15 and 20 minutes, respectively." Such alterations can mean missing a flight simply because one decided to grab a coffee.

This issue raises questions about the reliability of published departure times and whether passengers can truly depend on them for planning their travel.

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