Flight Crew Orders Pizza For Passengers As They Wait For Storm To Pass

Pizza is the most powerful customer service tool, according to Delta Airlines.

When lengthy weather-related delays struck a late-afternoon flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta yesterday, the crew was forced to land the plane in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Passenger Khoury Ashooh told Daily Mail the passengers sat on the plane for multiple hours, hungry and restless.

However, the flight crew won back passengers' trust with a surprise: a baggage truck full of hot pizza provided by the airline.

According to sources, the meal raised the spirits of the passengers while they waited to get back in the air.

It was a good thing, too; the flight hit the runway in Atlanta at 7 pm instead of the scheduled 4 pm landing.

Passengers were relieved to see food coming down the aisles.

Diverted while enroute to ATL? No problem. @delta does it right. Well done crew of DL1346, pizza for the win. pic.twitter.com/o49BGCxWv1 — CP (@PizzamanCP) May 26, 2015

It was much better than your average airplane food.

Delta continues with class. Stuck due to weather and the crew ordered everyone pizza. #deltaairlines pic.twitter.com/yMeBCFF0qL — Bill Wittenmyer (@BillyTheKidWitt) May 26, 2015

In the midst of a terrible day, passengers had the chance to chow down on an early dinner.

We are sitting on a runway stuck on a @Delta flight because of weather. So they're throwing us a pizza party! pic.twitter.com/QO0ntZvs4I — Riley Vasquez (@RileyVasquez) May 26, 2015

No one ever said traveling by plane is relaxing.

Well my @Delta pizza party pic is going viral right now. Here's a couple more shots of our #deltapizzaparty pic.twitter.com/2T9MxLrpN7 — Riley Vasquez (@RileyVasquez) May 27, 2015

Delta Airlines is the subject of dozens of stories praising its decision.

Diverted enroute to Kiawah Eye due to weather, Delta throws a pizza party #delta #deltapizzaparty #kiawaheye pic.twitter.com/bd7d7uLO9J — Ian McMillan (@KonanMedical) May 26, 2015

That's due, in part, to the social media tag #DeltaPizzaParty.

Stuck on the tarmac in Knoxville because of a storm over Atlanta, but the crew just ordered pizza for the whole plane. Good on you @Delta — Nate Turley (@turleyn) May 26, 2015

This isn't the first time the airline stepped up in a crisis.

Delays, delays, delays at @ChattAirport. Kudos to the @Delta staff for bringing in #pizza for the passengers @DeltaAssist — Bill Skowronnek (@BillyUnhinged) May 26, 2015

In 2013, Delta's Knoxville station manager ordered 160 pizzas for customers waiting for the weather to clear in Atlanta.

#Delta ordered pizza due to delayed flight. Passenger said they're not even mad anymore. Agent says: "We dont want u to b mad." Well played! — Chesya Burke (@ChesyaBurke) May 26, 2015

Citations: The pilot who ordered PIZZA for his delayed passengers Delivery by baggage cart for plane trapped by bad weather (Daily Mail)