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A former gate agent has shared weird reasons why flights can be delayed, including a broken bin.
Student Emma Swan worked at Denver airport for 18 months, picking up travel tips, tricks and secrets that have stuck with her ever since.
The then-20-year-old, fascinated by what she had experienced, decided to take to social media to share some of her secrets.
‘Flights have been delayed for multiple reasons but little do people know these reasons could be extremely small,’ the 31-year-old retail leadership worker, from Colorado, US, told website Need to Know.
‘As someone who actually does not love flying- once I worked at the airport for a bit, it did make me feel better to know that mechanical delays are often very simple fixes that just take time to resolve.’
Emma has come across multiple random reasons for flights being delayed, sharing one of her weirdest ones.
Ex-airport worker reveals bizarre reasons your plane might get delayed (Picture: Jam Press Vid/@mrsemmaroses)
She added: ‘So one particular flight, there was a mechanical delay. I remember it was a full flight and what was at first a 30-minute delay, it just kept getting pushed back further and further.
‘Eventually, passengers start getting cranky- especially since the crew does not usually give the gate agents much info because we never want to make guarantees on anything.
‘So by the time the third hour rolled around, I had a group of irate passengers demanding answers I didn’t have.
‘Around this time the crew took pity on me and invited me onboard the plane.
‘At this point, they informed me that the delay was because the latch that holds the trash cans for food service in place was broken. Meaning these trash cans were not secure which creates a huge safety risk.
‘The part needed was at another airport, which needed to come in on another inbound flight – the part came in about an hour after this- and we board about 30 minutes later.’
She explained how a broken bin delayed one flight(Picture: Jam Press Vid/@mrsemmaroses)
Sharing this on TikTok, the clip racked up 81,000 likes and hundreds of comments from baffled users.
The video prompted others to share reasons they had also been delayed.
One person said: ‘I once had to de-board a plane and wait an hour because a tray table wouldn’t stay up.’
One person said: ‘I had a flight delayed several hours because the little sunshade visor in the cockpit was broken…for a night flight’.
Another said: ‘These smaller jets are just notorious for all sorts of delays.
‘They are more sensitive to heat, so you may have to bump people off the flight for weight balance issues related to that heat.
‘I also have had my fair share of unruly passengers.
‘There was one time a gentleman had been removed from his flight because he was showing signs of intoxication – it’s actually very dangerous to fly when you’re drunk.
‘The altitude can give you serious complications.’
Others said they were okay with flights being delayed for mechanical issues as it meant they would be safer in the air.
One commented: ‘Stopping for mechanical delays is why commercial planes rarely crash anymore.’
‘Unpopular opinion here… please take all the time you need for mechanical maintenance. For any reason. I’ll sit there 10 hours if I have to,’ another wrote.
‘This information will give me 98% less anxiety for my next flight,’ said a third.
In terms of advice for flyers, Emma advised: ‘Just give yourself ample time and be nice to your gate agents and crew.
‘Remember that most delays are with safety in mind – whether that is because of a broken trash can, or a crew that is about to time-out where it’s no longer considered safe for them to fly, or even waiting out a storm.
‘Everyone wants you to get to your destination safely.
‘Don’t be afraid of mechanical delays!’
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‘Don’t be afraid of mechanical delays!’