Why are Delta wait times so long?

According to a spokesperson for Delta, wait times are about two to three hours. Since the pandemic began, its reservation and customer service lines have received record-breaking call volumes. Having travel ramp up rapidly hasn't helped. The airline is in the process of hiring 1,300 specialists to meet the demand.



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Despite an unprecedented hiring spree, Delta still regularly doesn't have enough pilots or flight attendants ready to operate all its flights when things go wrong. Throw in a bad storm during a busy travel week, and things can fall apart quickly.

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Usually you're advised to be there at least 2 hours earlier to have enough to time for the check-in, luggage on-boarding, security check and other steps needed for you to be ready to attend the flight. Of course, you're totally free to reach the airport last minute, but you'll miss your journey.

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This situation is caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent slowing of hiring and training, as well as the early retirement of thousands of pilots.

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Delta Air Lines: 2,731 canceled (3.3%), 17,092 delayed (21.0%). JetBlue: 710 canceled (2.8%), 9,088 delayed (35.9%). Southwest Airlines: 1,163 canceled (1.1%), 31,409 delayed (29.5%). United Airlines: 1,955 canceled (3.1%), 14,801 delayed (23.3%).

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So, why is Delta canceling flights? Staffing issues. A shortage in airline staff as well as an overtaxed air traffic control system means that when weather disrupts the air travel system, the dominoes can fall pretty quickly.

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In recent years, Delta has not been afraid to oversell its flights. It bumps more than twice as many people per enplanement than American or United.

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Your seat will not be assigned until after you check in to your flight. If your seat number does not appear on your boarding pass, your seat will be assigned at the gate before you board.

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To speak with a representative about a new or existing reservation, call 800-221-1212. If you are a Medallion® Member, check the Contact Us section in the Fly Delta mobile app for your dedicated phone line. If you are a SkyMiles member, have your SkyMiles account number available to expedite your call.

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Revealed: the airlines that had the fewest delays in 2022
  • Japan Airlines, 88 percent.
  • LATAM Airlines, 86.31 percent.
  • Delta Air Lines, 83.63 percent.
  • Avianca SA, 48 percent.
  • Emirates, 81.30 percent.
  • United Airlines, 80.46 percent.
  • Qatar Airways, 78.32 percent.
  • American Airlines, 78.29 percent.


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BTS data from July 2021 to June 2022 shows Hawaiian performed best of all U.S. airlines with just a 0.81% cancellation rate. Delta took second place again — with a cancellation rate of 1.63%. Meanwhile, merger partners JetBlue (3.81%) and Spirit Airlines (4.11%) canceled the highest percentage of all flights.

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Delta Airlines is known for its high-quality service and you typically pay more because of that. The main category that Delta gets low marks on is affordability. But the positives such as reliability, safety, perks, and their large network of destinations generally outweigh this negative.

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Delta Air Lines faced numerous challenges during the pandemic, including safety concerns among passengers, flight cancellations due to travel restrictions, aggressive air rage incidents, and the complexity of handling Covid-related issues.

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The General Guideline for How Early You Should Get to the Airport. Generally speaking, most airlines advise that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to a domestic flight, and at least 3 hours prior to an international flight.

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This is because international flights can have additional check-in requirements, like passport verification, that need to be completed before you receive your boarding pass. Further, international flights tend to begin their boarding process 15 to 30 minutes earlier than domestic flights due to the larger plane size.

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