Thursday thanks

This week's thanks go out to Delta Airlines. (Important note: I am not getting paid to write this - just reporting really good customer service. It's a dying art. It should be recognized when it occurs.)

I spent the better part of Monday on an airplane. (Story of my life!) Leaving New England, my flight was delayed at the gate so technicians could inspect a part on the wing. During what should have been a 2(ish)-hour flight, I spent nearly four hours with a blue seat and tray table for scenery.

Normally a 90-minute delay would have me fuming, but this one didn't, and here's why:

• The pilot kept everyone well-informed on the status of the issue. (Ok. He was a little too informative for my tastes... I really don't want to know exactly which component on the wing has you nervous. I just want to know that you're going to fix it. But at least we received regular updates and timelines.)
• The crew kept the air conditioning on, and walked around passing out cups of water.
• For those who would miss a connection, the Delta gate agents re-booked everyone onto later flights, and flight attendants handed brand new boarding passes out so people wouldn't have to deal with that hassle once we landed.
• When we did, eventually, get to our destination, the flight attendant thanked the passengers for their extraordinary level of patience. The language she used showed both that the customers aren't always so calm, and that she was truly thankful.
• Oh... and there were free-drink-on-next-flight cards for everyone.

And yes, this "thanks" is not running related at all (except that I was more sore-and-achy than usual on Tuesday from all the extra time spent on the plane).