Originally Posted by
Herod
Couldn't agree more. Tell the truth; it usually is the best answer.
It's the best answer for calm and serendipity on one's own aircraft I'd have thought.
But if the reason is "someone else in my company has screwed up" I can imagine personnel managerial considerations may (depending on the corporate culture of the airline) force their way into a captain's brain.
I'm writing as SLF; I'd prefer a captain to say "sorry, my colleagues on the ground have fouled up" if that is indeed what has happened. I'm less likely to complain about an airline that permits that than one that tries to cover it up. I'm even less likely to complain if the pilot is telling me that the airport / some other airline / ATC / whoever has fouled up.
I've no idea why this particular flight was stuck on the ground doing nothing all that time; but as a passenger I'd be making my own conclusions from the silence coming from the cockpit. Especially if the aircon had been switched off on a hot day so that the pilot didn't exceed his/her company's miserly fuel allowance.