This Delta Pilot Did Something Great. So Why Didn’t the Airline Want to Recognize Him?

This is the way airplane delays should be handled. And, just what we counsel.

From writer Jeff Haden:

I was sitting in a gate area at the Atlanta airport, waiting to board flight Delta flight 2074 to Norfolk, Virginia, when a gate agent announced, “We’re sorry, but boarding will be delayed while the mechanics take care of a maintenance issue.”

A number of people groaned.

A few minutes later, the gate agent announced that the flight would be further delayed. Groans. Grumbling.

Then the captain walked up to the desk and got on the loudspeaker. He said:

I’m sorry, but due to a maintenance issue we’ve decided to switch to another plane. While it’s not a big issue, our biggest priority is your safety, and we’ve decided to take that plane out of service until it’s 100 percent ready to go. I’ve been on the phone working to get another plane and they assure me it won’t take long. Hopefully we can get everything worked out within 30 minutes. I really appreciate your patience and promise that we will keep you updated.

No one groaned. No one grumbled.

Ten minutes later, the gate agent announced that the flight would board a couple of gates away. I moved to that area and sat.

Moments later, the same pilot sat down across from me.

I had been thinking about how no one seemed frustrated or upset when he announced the switch to another plane. I’m usually pretty shy but felt compelled to say something.

“Making that announcement yourself was a nice touch,” I said. “Usually a gate agent does it, which makes sense… but we all know they’re just passing on information. For you to come out and explain why you made the decision, what you’re doing to take care of it… that feels a lot better. It’s hard to complain when the person in charge explains why they made the call. And if anyone had questions, you were there to answer them. It would be great if more pilots did that.”

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