O'Hare to Tampa via ATL

After 6 days if putting up with a polar vortex and all the mayhem that goes with it, time to go home to my island for just 20 hours.

But

Ahh, yes, the 717 loads on time at ORD.  This is the first Delta B717 I've flown on.  They came from Air Tran and they have cleaned up quite nicely.  First is nice as well.

But

So we close the door and sit.  And we sit.  Cockpit comes over the PA and states that they are waiting on "performance numbers".  Now while I know what this means, the reality is that we arrive 20 minutes late into ATL.  That's just enough of a delay to cause chaos once we get to the gate.  The usual number of passengers running over each other to make the connection.

**sigh** "Performance number delay.

My connection to TPA was late.  "We are waiting on our flight attendants to arrive".  You know the drill.  Nothing is automatic with a hub and spoke carrier.

And my time at home on Pass A Grille got cut by an hour over this.  Amarillo is next.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL393/history/20140111/2000Z/KORD/KATL

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2376/history/20140111/2251Z/KATL/KTPA