Replies

I know that a major weather system in one part of the country can affect travel throughout the system. I'm not sure why but I know it happens. As a frequent traveler I've had the same miserable experience you had. I hate it because you are literally a prisoner in the tube sitting out on the runway, sometimes for hours. If it's any consolation, UA isn't the only airline that does this. I've experienced it with most at one time or another. If the route I'm taking permits it, I always try to fly jet blue now. At least they act as if they care.

I know that a major weather system in one part of the country can affect travel throughout the system. I'm not sure why but I know it happens.

For several reasons, the most likely being that weather in another destination has delayed the plane that you will be traveling on from arriving at your departure airport. As the original post said, they 'didn't see any weather system,' but it happens quite frequently that the weather is somewhere else and is disrupting the system.

Say the plane that you're traveling on has to go from LAX to DFW to NYC and back in the course of the day. Bad weather in LAX preventing the plane taking off delays your flight at DFW, and every other flight down the line. Plus, it delays other flights because it's not in its normal takeoff sequence, it's not in its normal gate, and your airline may need to pull a jet from elsewhere if one airport is really snagged up.