Broken lavatory door causes flight to be canceled excuse

[BayAreaLondoner]

My wife went on a day trip to Orange County from San Francisco yesterday and called me around 9pm to advise me that her flight was delayed due to an ATC hold at SFO (presumably due to the fog). Then she called back at around 9.30 saying that she was going to be staying down there the night because (a) the airport was closed and (b) the plane had a broken lavatory door. We both found it hard to believe that said door would cause the flight to be scrubbed, especially since it had been the same plane and same crew down there from SFO and the door was broken then as well. I suggested the crew might be out of hours.
On the way to her hotel, she happened to see either the Captain of the F/O and asked. He allegedly said rather irritably that the pax had been told the honest truth and why wouldn't she believe it?
Fast forward to this morning. She gets to the airport. Same plane, same lavatory door problem, same crew. In conversation with one of the flight attendants, she asked what was going on and the F/A said that they had indeed reached the point where they needed to take their 8 hour break the previous night. She went on to say that most pax wouldn't understand so they used the door excuse.
I suppose I can see the airline's point of view since "the pilot is too tired to fly the plane" could cause an outbreak of air rage, but I for one would prefer to hear the truth. What do others think?

[Edited to add my opinion, which I had omitted]

[PaperTiger]

Simply inexcusable.

What passenger would fail to understand 'FAA regulations limit the number of hours pilots are allowed to be on duty in a day. We are sorry but due to the delay, we have reached that limit.' ?

Passengers may or may not understand that another crew is not available, but I'd give them the benefit of the doubt anyway.

[Jet II]

Not sure what airline you are talking about but BA have just changed their operating procedures and on some aircraft if a particular lavatory that the crew use is out of action the crew will refuse to fly the aircraft.

Sounds barmy I know - aparently the excuse is that this particular toilet is next to the crew rest area and they don't want to have to walk through the cabin to find another if it is not working!

:D

edited for lousy spelling (its early)

[Eboy]

I'm sorry for your wife's bad experience. She and the other passengers should have been told the truth. In my experience on United, at least, when there has been a malfunctioning lavatory (a rare event), they just lock the door. No big deal. I am also concerned about the pilot's (or F/O's) "irritation" toward your wife.

Consider complaining to the carrier's Chairperson. Your wife may be able to get some compensation out of this.

[Hand Solo]

Which fleets that on then Jet II? Sounds unreasonable at first, but bear in mind that if the crew are in the bunks then they have to get up, dress, get out of the crew rest module, walk through the cabin to find a vacant bog, walk back through the cabin, clamber back into the crew rest module, undress again and get back into the bunks. Hardly conduicive to crew rest.

[Jet II]

Hand Solo

777 - I still am not sure if I agree with it, I can see all the arguments for it although we (BA) don't mind if a first class pax has to wander around the a/c just because his loo is u/s.

:confused:

[Sharjah Night Shift]

I thought BA crews were like our Royal Family and did not go to the toilet!