Reasons for delays
Now airlines are expected to explain even the shortest delays to their passengers. In the last couple of weeks flying between LHR and FRA with Lufthansa I've had the pilots arriving late for their flight (very common and entirely plausible), having to top up with fuel (at FRA) at the last minute because there was none available at LHR (this on the day of the warehouse fire) and the pilot noticing a dent in the (brand new) aircraft during walkround so they had to wait for maintenance to check it out before flying. I guess some airlines might have been less explicit about that one, citing unexplained 'technical checks'.
None of the delays have been more than 15 minutes, but it just started me wondering about the most original, inventive or frankly incredible excuses to have been offered to passengers ...
Have to say in passing that I've been impressed with Lufthansa. Good, professional, no nonsense service all round.