ABC News has reported that major airlines routinely lie about weather being the cause for delays to avoid financial repercussions.  My recent flight from New York’s LaGuardia airport to Atlanta on Delta is a clear case of this.

Flight 925 from LGA to ATL on Sunday, June 8 was scheduled to depart at 4:55 pm, and I arrived at the gate at 4:20.  Some time after the scheduled departure time, Delta announced that mechanical problems required passengers to move from Gate 4 to Gate 2.  Later, Delta moved us all back to gate 4, where some time around 5:30 we boarded.  By the time we took off, it was almost exactly 90 minutes past our scheduled departure time.  It was ONLY as we were taking off that any evidence of bad weather in the area appeared.  This is important, because what started as a mechanical delay on Delta's part became, according to Delta, a weather-related delay.  This was ironic, because it was only AS the local weather became stormy-looking did we take off.  We actually took off right into lighting-laced clouds.  In my honest opinion, Delta falsely used the weather as an excuse to avoid its obligation to pay for overnight food and lodging for those of us who missed our connections in Atlanta.  I allowed almost an hour for that connection... after running till I thought I'd have a heart attack to make my connection, I discovered about a dozen people at the gate, where MORE than 10 minutes before scheduled departure, flight 173 had closed its doors.  There were NO agents anywhere in sight.  Agents at other nearby gates - in spite of the fact that they were doing absolutely nothing - refused to help us. 

Only after repeatedly challenging Delta on this matter - WHICH INCLUDED PROVIDING PROOF OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS BEFORE TAKEOFF - did they agree to reimburse me for the expenses I incurred to stay overnight in Atlanta because of their mechanical delays.  I suspect they knew I could easily prove my case.  By the way, I’m still waiting for the check they promised me.