Is Delta flying slow?

Over the last few weeks, DL 317 has gone from a scheduled 9 hour flight to almost 10 hours (scheduled). Are they slowing down to save fuel? Doesn’t that hurt by putting more airmiles on the planes?

Hi, JeffSheets and welcome to FlightAware. Perhaps what you’re seeing is the result of a seasonal wind change? Here’s the departure time (Zulu), airspeed, and filed enroute time for the last couple months.



 2005-10-01 16:25:00 |                469 | 09:10:00
 2005-10-02 16:26:00 |                474 | 08:58:00
 2005-10-03 16:28:00 |                472 | 08:59:00
 2005-10-04 16:18:00 |                471 | 08:59:00
 2005-10-05 16:22:00 |                473 | 09:02:00
 2005-10-06 19:36:00 |                475 | 08:53:00
 2005-10-07 16:33:00 |                472 | 08:50:00
 2005-10-08 16:35:00 |                469 | 08:55:00
 2005-10-09 16:21:00 |                469 | 09:06:00
 2005-10-13 16:22:00 |                474 | 08:52:00
 2005-10-11 16:20:00 |                475 | 08:53:00
 2005-10-12 16:23:00 |                475 | 08:54:00
 2005-10-10 16:27:00 |                480 | 09:01:00
 2005-10-14 16:27:00 |                479 | 08:55:00
 2005-10-16 16:27:00 |                478 | 09:04:00
 2005-10-15 16:27:00 |                480 | 09:10:00
 2005-10-17 16:21:00 |                474 | 09:06:00
 2005-10-18 16:26:00 |                468 | 08:59:00
 2005-10-20 16:27:00 |                479 | 09:19:00
 2005-10-21 16:25:00 |                478 | 09:11:00
 2005-10-22 16:22:00 |                478 | 09:18:00
 2005-10-23 16:23:00 |                482 | 09:13:00
 2005-10-24 16:22:00 |                482 | 09:04:00
 2005-10-25 16:21:00 |                477 | 09:18:00
 2005-10-26 16:28:00 |                477 | 09:15:00
 2005-10-27 16:28:00 |                474 | 09:12:00
 2005-10-28 16:51:00 |                466 | 09:14:00
 2005-10-29 16:19:00 |                465 | 09:17:00
 2005-10-30 17:29:00 |                471 | 09:17:00
 2005-10-31 17:22:00 |                471 | 09:17:00
 2005-11-01 17:32:00 |                470 | 09:11:00
 2005-11-02 17:28:00 |                468 | 08:58:00
 2005-11-03 17:22:00 |                469 | 08:57:00
 2005-11-04 17:19:00 |                479 | 09:28:00
 2005-11-05 17:44:00 |                480 | 09:21:00
 2005-11-06 17:26:00 |                480 | 09:26:00
 2005-11-07 17:22:00 |                469 | 09:19:00
 2005-11-08 17:22:00 |                477 | 09:06:00
 2005-11-09 17:19:00 |                478 | 09:06:00
 2005-11-10 17:29:00 |                475 | 09:06:00
 2005-11-11 17:19:00 |                470 | 09:04:00
 2005-11-12 17:18:00 |                477 | 08:59:00
 2005-11-13 17:22:00 |                477 | 09:07:00
 2005-11-14 17:22:00 |                476 | 09:06:00
 2005-11-15 17:32:00 |                476 | 09:17:00
 2005-11-16 17:23:00 |                482 | 09:06:00
 2005-11-17 17:24:00 |                479 | 09:13:00
 2005-11-18 17:24:00 |                480 | 09:02:00
 2005-11-19 17:22:00 |                475 | 09:06:00
 2005-11-20 17:19:00 |                476 | 09:00:00
 2005-11-21 17:15:00 |                465 | 08:58:00
 2005-11-22 17:31:00 |                474 | 09:12:00
 2005-11-23 17:21:00 |                475 | 09:14:00
 2005-11-24 17:26:00 |                477 | 09:19:00
 2005-11-26 17:19:00 |                473 | 09:32:00
 2005-11-25 17:21:00 |                481 | 09:23:00
 2005-11-27 17:19:00 |                479 | 09:31:00
 2005-11-28 17:24:00 |                479 | 09:35:00
 2005-11-29 18:11:00 |                469 | 09:37:00
 2005-11-30 17:19:00 |                467 | 09:36:00
 2005-12-01 17:22:00 |                484 | 09:49:00
 2005-12-02 18:29:00 |                468 | 09:51:00
 2005-12-03 17:27:00 |                465 | 09:49:00
 2005-12-04 17:32:00 |                482 | 09:40:00
 2005-12-05 17:33:00 |                477 | 09:36:00
 2005-12-06 17:19:00 |                478 | 09:48:00
 2005-12-07 17:25:00 |                484 | 09:16:00
 2005-12-08 17:30:00 |                468 | 09:01:00
 2005-12-09 17:36:00 |                478 | 08:46:00
 2005-12-10 17:18:00 |                472 | 09:13:00
 2005-12-11 17:38:00 |                471 | 09:14:00
 2005-12-13 17:21:00 |                478 | 09:24:00
 2005-12-12 17:22:00 |                471 | 09:38:00
 2005-12-14 17:23:00 |                481 | 09:17:00
 2005-12-15 17:49:00 |                459 | 09:31:00
 2005-12-16 17:23:00 |                485 | 09:38:00
 2005-12-17 18:29:00 |                483 | 09:46:00
 2005-12-18 17:22:00 |                483 | 09:55:00
 2005-12-19 17:20:00 |                481 | 09:47:00
 2005-12-20 17:48:00 |                467 | 09:24:00
 2005-12-21 17:52:00 |                460 | 09:13:00
 2005-12-22 17:27:00 |                459 | 09:14:00
 2005-12-23 17:30:00 |                462 | 09:25:00
 2005-12-24 17:18:00 |                471 | 09:05:00
 2005-12-25 17:28:00 |                465 | 09:19:00
 2005-12-26 17:24:00 |                474 | 09:21:00
 2005-12-27 17:22:00 |                470 | 09:21:00
 2005-12-28 17:27:00 |                467 | 09:20:00
 2005-12-29 17:26:00 |                479 | 09:10:00
 2005-12-30 17:24:00 |                480 | 09:13:00
 2005-12-31 17:21:00 |                479 | 09:19:00
 2006-01-01 17:16:00 |                481 | 09:37:00
 2006-01-02 20:02:00 |                473 | 09:48:00
 2006-01-03 17:58:00 |                484 | 09:41:00


Seasonal wind change is definitely what you’re seeing. As a pilot at Delta, I can tell you that there has been no move to reduce cruise speeds in order to save fuel. We cruise at whatever the optimum altitude is for the current wind/temp/turbulence/weight situation.

Isaac

Date Type Origin Destination Departure Arrival Duration
04-Jan-2006 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 01:33PM EST 06:23PM HST En Route
03-Jan-2006 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:58PM EST 10:05AM HST 2:07
02-Jan-2006 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 03:02PM EST 07:44PM HST 9:42
01-Jan-2006 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:16PM EST 04:46PM HST 9:30
31-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:21PM EST 04:31PM HST 9:10
30-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:24PM EST 04:24PM HST 9:00
29-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:26PM EST 04:24PM HST 8:58
28-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:27PM EST result unknown (?) n/a
27-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:22PM EST 04:37PM HST 9:15
26-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:24PM EST 04:32PM HST 9:08
25-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:28PM EST 04:47PM HST 9:19
24-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:18PM EST 04:17PM HST 8:59
23-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:30PM EST 04:47PM HST 9:17
22-Dec-2005 B764/Q Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Int’l [KATL] Honolulu Int’l [PHNL] 12:27PM EST 04:33PM HST 9:06

Swissflight:

What is the difference between a B764/J and a B764/Q?

Thanks

What is the suffix that’s appended to an aircraft type, such as C172/G or B738/Q?

Aircraft Equipment Suffixes

NO DME

/X No transponder
/T Transponder with no Mode C
/U Transponder with Mode C

DME

/D No transponder
/B Transponder with no Mode C
/A Transponder with Mode C

TACAN ONLY

/M No transponder
/N Transponder with no Mode C
/P Transponder with Mode C

AREA NAVIGATION (RNAV)

/Y LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS with no transponder
/C LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS, transponder with no Mode C
/I LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS, transponder with Mode C

ADVANCED RNAV WITH TRANSPONDER AND MODE C (If an aircraft is unable to operate with a transponder and/or Mode C, it will revert to the appropriate code listed above under Area Navigation.)

/E Flight Management System (FMS) with DME/DME and IRU position updating
/F Flight Management System (FMS) with DME/DME position updating
/G Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), including GPS or WAAS, with en route and terminal capability
/R Required Navigational Performance. The aircraft meets the RNP type prescribed for the route segment(s), route(s) and/or area concerned.

REDUCED VERTICAL SEPARATION MINIMUM (RVSM). Prior to conducting RVSM operations within the U.S., the operator must obtain authorization from the FAA or from the responsible authority, as appropriate.

/J /E with RVSM
/K /F with RVSM
/L /G with RVSM
/Q /R with RVSM
/W RVSM

(from faa.gov/ATPubs/ATC/Chp2/atc0203.html)