Delta flies a plane full of bags but no passengers

Wait… what?? Delta flew all the bags on one plane but passengers were rebooked on other planes?

“flown to Detroit to return suitcases to their owners Monday after a flight to the Michigan city was canceled the same day. The flight was axed "given airport passenger volume restrictions at Heathrow" and passengers were rebooked.”

If it was 1000 bags it was definitely more than one flight's worth of luggage

So glad I did not book on Delta for my upcoming tour.

This sounds like a Heathrow problem, not a Delta problem. They are forcing carriers to cancel because they can’t take the passenger volume at the airport. It was thoughtful of Delta to fly an empty flight back to return peoples bags.

Delta is my favorite, too. I’m willing to fly Alaska and Southwest if necessary, but not the rest unless I have no other options.

https://simpleflying.com/icelandair-amsterdam-flights-carry-baggage-handlers/

An article about IcelandAir flying their own baggage handlers into Amsterdam to help with the problems there. It’s crazy!

Delta is my favorite, they seem to care a lot more about their clients than American with their "pack em in and get Covid" business philosophy or United "drag passengers down the center aisle for refusing to give up their paid seat" practices. I would never fly on those two airlines even if it was free or they paid me.

I had seen this article right after we landed at T2 LHR on the 13th. When we went to baggage claim to get our one checked bag there were large suitcases just sitting around the various carousels and lots of people at all of the windows of luggage services inquiring about their suitcases. I wish I’d taken a picture of the wall to wall baggage area of unclaimed suitcases. Fortunately our one piece of luggage from our United flight was delivered quickly and we were thankfully on our way. We will be buying AirTags before our next flight.

This sounds like a Heathrow problem, not a Delta problem.

Exactly. Delta is trying to help its travelers impacted by the mess at Heathrow.

Heathrow’s requirement that airlines reduced numbers of departing (but not arriving) passengers forced Delta to cancel the homeward flight for which that plane was scheduled after it arrived in London. The aircraft needed to be positioned without passengers to the US for other flights, with out without that stranded baggage on it.

They were wise to load it with luggage, and damned brilliant to spin it so well.

Yikes - we were on that Delta LHR to Detroit flight two weeks ago. It was a great experience. Agree that Delta is a generally a good airline. Anecdotally, the stories I heard from friends/other travelers recently sounded like other airlines (especially Aer Lingus) were less responsive in terms of lost luggage. But many airlines are being impacted by airport issues.

Considering the luggage mess that is Heathrow, I love what Delta did.

Delay did what it had to do because it did not do what it should have done. So let’s not give them a big hurrah for doing that flight.
Airlines are under the phrase “they always do the right thing, after they have tried everything else.”

I understand the cynicism, but what exactly should Delta have done that they didn’t do? Yelled really loudly when they were forced to cancel flights? Somehow know well in advance this was going to happen? I don’t think you can blame any airline for Heathrows problems.

I am a through and through Delta Fan...starting when my Dad was an air traffic controller back in the dark ages.

I think they were wonderful to have flown stranded bags back for a repositioning flight. I must be naive, I don't get what they did wrong? They didn't strand the bags to begin with.

Also love IcelandAir flying their own baggage handlers to AMS. Wow, that is some creative thinking on someone's part.

This flight became a deadheaded flight for Delta. Since they were capped on passengers by Heathrow might as well fill up the plane with delayed bags. Good use of the asset being the plane, fuel etc. The flight attendants could take a nap.

The flight attendants could take a nap.

Doesn't the luggage deserve to be well treated and fed too.... maybe given a pillow or a blanket if needed!!

Bags are people too....

Besides which, what if the plane gets into trouble and needs to be evacuated? If the FAs are all asleep, who will do that?

Bags have rights you know!

This was an admirable action on Delta's part. They are almost necessarily my choice as a metro Detroiter but I choose them over any other airline when I have the opportunity. I don't understand why this action would discourage anyone from using them.

Besides which, what if the plane gets into trouble and needs to be evacuated? If the FAs are all asleep, who will do that?

By the time the plane is on the ground and has to be evacuated, no one is asleep

On a more serious note, Delta has gotten a lot of good press out of this and avoided having to process/pay as many as a 1,000 claims for lost luggage. That alone made the trip a financial success. Wouldn't be surprised if the flight cost got shifted to the advertising budget, to make the operations budget look better.