Delta Airlines

[Crow1108]

Just PCS'ed to Korea. I went back home on leave between my last base (Hill AFB) and here. After leave was finished, I flew to SLC to fly out to LAX, and then finally fly out to Korea. My flight to SLC got there at 0100, and left at about 0800. The ticket counter didn't open until about 0500. I eventually got on the flight to LAX, all passengers board, and we're notified that the auxiliary power unit wasn't functioning correctly. Took them about 30 minutes to fix, and we finally get ready to taxi. The APU was no big deal, because obviously I'd rather they catch something like that on the ground, but when we got onto the taxiway, the announcement came on that there was still ice on the wings of the plane, and it took an additional 30 minutes to de-ice.

When we finally got to LA, it was about 10:30. My flight for Korea was scheduled to depart at 1100. Needless to say, I had to run for the international terminal, and once I finally got to Incheon, none of my luggage made it. None of my uniforms, none of my clothes. I got one bag yesterday (luckily I packed uniforms in both bags, but the one I received yesterday had no boots), and am still waiting on my other bag to show up.

Now, is it just me, or does it seem like the maintenance guys should've caught the fact that the plane wasn't de-iced before we were ready to board? Has anyone else had any experiences like this?

Just needed to vent about it a little.

[Fly320s]

Deicing is normally accomplished after passengers are on board and the plane leaves the gate.  Sometiimes, the plane can be deiced well before the crew and passengers arrive at the plane, but that doesn't happen often.

Each airport and airline has it's own procedures as to where and when to deice, but typically the deicing is done at the gate or near the runway.  The deicing fluid is an ethylene glycol and water mix, so many airports want to capture that fluid so as not to allow the runoff to contaminate the area.  Because of that, designated areas to deice are established at some airports, which may be why you taxied away from the gate and then "discovered" that the plane needed deicing.  In reality, the Captain knew that the plane needed deicing and was following SOP to get that done.

When there is a chance of more precipitation sticking to the plane (still snowing) then an anti-icing fluid will be added as the final step.  This cold deicing fluid has a variable effective time called holdover time.  That time can be 5 minutes to over 1 hour.  This critical time often dictates where and when a plane will deice.

As to your lost luggage, that sucks.  Just as an FYI, always give yourself a long time between domestic and international flights.  Those bag transfers can take longer to accomplish.

Take care over there.

[Jamisjockey]

Yeah, it's just you.   
They can't deice before you board.  They have to do it closer to the departure time, as the fluid is only good for so long before the aircraft begins to accumulate ice again, especially if some form of freezing precipitation is involved.
Be glad they deiced and that the airlines take the procedure seriously.  I've seen first hand the effects of icing on aircraft.  I can think of 7 fatalities on private aircraft that I've personally been involved with where ice was a major factor.  I used to be an Air Traffic Controller at the SLC TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility).  I never expect to be on time during the winter if I'm flying anywhere that experiences winter weather regularly.  

[Unisaw]

D = Don't
E = Expect
L = Luggage
T = To
A = Arrive

[HankB]

Here's a "thinking out of the box" idea: Pack nuclear waste as checked luggage on Delta - no human being will ever see it or have to deal with it again!

[chefman]

D=Don't
E=Even
L=Leave
T=The
A=Airport

[grampster]

We fly Delta to Key West in January because we can get there with only one stop in Atlanta and jets all the way to KW.   We ship our luggage by UPS about a week before we go.  No problem with luggage.

[RocketMan]

Yarg...Delta Airlines.   Let's see.  There was the time on a flight to Narita Intl. on an MD-11 out of PDX, when ground crew managed to poke a quarter-size hole in the deck of the cargo compartment.  Thirty minutes to patch the hole, another three hours to get the Delta A&P to sign off on the work so the flight could leave.  We were kept on the plane at the gate the whole time, and we still had an eleven hour flight ahead of us.
Then there was a flight from Narita to PDX a few months later.  The luggage for all of the passengers but a select few was delivered promptly to baggage claim.  Those select few of us, thirty or so, had our luggage rifled by the Delta baggage handlers.  It took them almost an hour to go through it and steal what they wanted.
I remember seeing the news stories when that baggage theft ring was broken up and its members were arrested a few months later.

[Crow1108]

Got my luggage two days ago, luckily. One of my bags came in one day before the other, but at least everything seems to be in order. Now that it's over and done with, I'm chalking it up as "stuff happens".

Korea's pretty cool so far though 

We fly Delta to Key West in January because we can get there with only one stop in Atlanta and jets all the way to KW.   We ship our luggage by UPS about a week before we go.  No problem with luggage.

That's actually a pretty good idea. It's a shame you have to do that, but it ensures your luggage will get there in a timely fashion.

[Dannyboy]

Korea's pretty cool so far though 

Minor thread-jack

Korea is really cool and you can have a good time while you're there.  It's entirely up to you.  One thing I would recommend, though, is to go somewhere other than home for your mid-tour leave.  Unless you're married or have kids, then I guess you won't have too much choice. 

[Crow1108]

Minor thread-jack

Korea is really cool and you can have a good time while you're there.  It's entirely up to you.  One thing I would recommend, though, is to go somewhere other than home for your mid-tour leave.  Unless you're married or have kids, then I guess you won't have too much choice.  

[Threadjack]

Yea, heading back to Japan for my midtour (it is my follow-on as well). Wife's there, and I'm gonna go see my kid being born (our first)  

[/Threadjack]

[seeker_two]

We ship our luggage by UPS about a week before we go.  No problem with luggage.

I did the same thing when I had to go to California a few years ago. It made it to my hotel before I did....and shipping it back was just as easy and much cheaper than the extra bag fees....

[jamz]

Delta is the only airline in which I've experienced them neglecting the passenger prelanding briefing.

[grampster]

Delta is the only airline in which I've experienced them neglecting the passenger prelanding briefing.

You're right about no briefing.  One thing I wish the crew would do is, as the plane is taxiing toward the terminal, sternly remind the passengers to allow those who have a short time to a connection, to exit the plane first.

[Hawkmoon]

You're right about no briefing.  One thing I wish the crew would do is, as the plane is taxiing toward the terminal, sternly remind the passengers to allow those who have a short time to a connection, to exit the plane first.

Yeah. Like anyone would actually LISTEN to such a request.

"I only have four hours to make it to the next gate, they MUST be talking about me. OUT'A MY WAY, PLEBIAN!"