These days, flight-tracking apps can tell you almost everything about your trip — except when your airline is hiding a delay. Even with all the technology at our fingertips, airlines still seem to wait until the last possible minute to break the bad news. On one trip home from Texas, that old frustration showed up loud and clear, and not even Buc-ee’s could soften the blow.
We’d spent a fantastic few days visiting favorite restaurants, seeing the famous Austin bats, and (of course) making a Buc-ee’s pilgrimage. But all it took was one frustrating airport experience to end the trip on a sour note.
Back then, I wasn’t glued to my phone tracking every flight update.
I was spending time with our travel buddies at the airport, not noticing that our incoming flight was running about 90 minutes late.
It wasn’t until the gate sign changed that I even thought to check the Frontier app — sure enough, there was our new delayed departure time.
What confused me, though, was that our connecting flight, which we were staying on to Orlando, was still listed as “on time.” Logically, there was no way that was possible — unless our flight had somehow invented time travel.
The Delay Domino Effect
If you’ve flown Frontier (or honestly, most airlines) you know that tight turnarounds and delays aren’t exactly rare. I had booked this particular routing because, at least, we wouldn’t miss our connection — we’d already be on the plane!
Still, it was frustrating to realize the obvious delay long before Frontier actually sent any official update. Had we known earlier, we could have grabbed a sit-down meal, relaxed, maybe even written a blog post or two with a glass of wine instead of racing for a quick snack near the gate.
When we finally landed at our connecting airport, it was late, and by then, food options were slim to none. After a quick turn, we reboarded for Orlando, slightly less comfortable, slightly hungrier, and definitely more annoyed.
Today’s World: Better Tools, Same Problem
Fast forward to today, and I travel differently. Between airline apps, FlightAware, and TripIt Pro, it’s a lot easier to spot a delay before the airline officially announces it. (Well, sometimes.)
TripIt Pro sends me real-time alerts whenever an airline updates its schedule. It’s a great tool… but even then, you only receive the alert after the airline officially makes the change.
Sometimes I find it almost amusing: You can be sitting in a lounge or at the gate, and the moment a delay finally gets posted, there’s this chorus of dings, buzzes, and alarms from everyone’s phones — immediately followed by a collective groan as the bad news sinks in.
But that’s the thing — everyone only finds out when the airline chooses to admit there’s a delay.
The information is often obvious well before that: incoming flights running late, weather issues at the destination, maintenance delays stacking up. And yet airlines still drag their feet before officially updating flight times, hoping (maybe?) that the delay won’t be quite as bad as it looks.
The Bigger Problem: Airlines and Delayed Communication
Ultimately, we landed about 75 minutes later than scheduled. Honestly? No big deal. A 90-minute flight delay isn’t the end of the world.
What frustrates me, then and now, is the lack of communication.
It was obvious hours earlier that we wouldn’t be leaving on time, but the airline delayed announcing it for as long as possible, leaving passengers to crowd around gates, scramble for food, or simply sit and stew without accurate information.
This isn’t just a Frontier thing, either. I’ve seen it happen on Southwest, Delta, American, United, JetBlue…you name it. Even with all the tech we have today, the airlines still try to minimize the “official” delay times until the last possible second.
Bottom Line
These days, I’m way more proactive. If I’m flying, I track my flight status obsessively: using my airline app, checking FlightAware, monitoring incoming aircraft, and getting alerts from TripIt Pro. I no longer trust the airline to provide accurate and timely updates.
If you’re traveling anytime soon, do yourself a favor — check your incoming aircraft, monitor the weather at both airports, and never assume “on time” means what you think it means.
Because when it comes to delays, knowledge is power.
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1 comment
I am having this exact experience on United airlines today. My flight is delayed three hours and I was too busy to be tracking the incoming flight all day or I could have seen this coming. The delay was not announced until I’d already cleared security, only an hour before the original boarding time. Weather delays are understandable, but what’s not understandable is the disrespect that airlines show for customers’ time when they withhold news of a delay. Bad news doesn’t get better with age… but it’s no mistake when this happens: They’d hate to give you a chance to make alternate plans! Unfortunately, airlines know that you are at their mercy, and this just makes it clear how little they actually care about their customers. Never forget- you’re just another number 🙂 I wonder if AI will be more fair in how it deals with these situations, or will the greed be pre-programmed?