I am flyin on DAL 1768 ATL-DTW on Jan 28, and does anyone know where the plane is comin from (into ATL), and where it will go from DTW?
That’s hard to tell, especially this far in advance.
What happens when you ask a TSA agent those kind of questions at the gate?
well my guess is it is a reposition flight to go somewhere from DTW
Looking at the current Delta timetable, I say these the 777 does round trips between ATL and DTW. I couldn’t find any flights out of DTW using a 777 that went anyplace except ATL.
Take a look at this extract from the current Delta timetable
(order is departure, arrival, flight, stops, aircraft)
ATL-DTW
9:45 11:50 1768 0 4 77L
Eff. Jan. 7
9:45 11:50 1768 0 5 777
Eff. Jan. 8
9:55 12:00 1475 0 4 77L
Eff. Dec. 24 - Dec. 31
9:55 12:00 1475 0 5 777
Eff. Dec. 25 - Jan. 1
10:25 12:30 1475 0 4 77L
Disc. Dec. 11; Ops 45 eff Dec. 4
DTW-ATL
1:10 3:10 1108 0 5 77L
Eff. Dec. 25 - Jan. 1
1:30 3:30 1108 0 57 77L
Disc. Dec. 18
1:30 3:30 1108 0 7 777
Eff. Dec. 20; Ops 60 min. later eff Jan. 10
2:30 4:30 1108 0 5 77L
Eff. Jan. 8
Because the aircraft appear to overnight in DTW, Delta could be using these flights as an opportunity to give the mainly former Northwest employees an opportunity to get familiar with the 777.
Blank stare and a thumb pointing at the Delta gate agent?
AFAIK this kind of question to your airline is common and not any kind of security red flag. I’ve asked that kind of question and been answered. It’s a way to judge the reliability of the departure time estimate.
What happens when you ask that, and your name happens to be Mohammed - or you just happen to have a turban and a beard?
I can see a shaky, sweaty person asking TSA “is, uhh, is this…umm jet going to be going to NY after it drops us off in Detroit?”
Next stop, Guantanamo!
I guess what I’m saying is, I can see why wanting to know where a plane is coming from prior to picking you up is relevant, but not where it is going after leaving DTW. To me, that would raise a flag.
Could also be headed to Shanghai as flight NW789/DL6828
I missed that one. However, what about the 77L? The Shanghai flight is shown as a 777.
As you know, millions of people are named Mohammed and are not terrorists. And turbans are often found on top of Sikhs, who are not noted as anti-American terrorists. 
More to the point, I think a mission oriented terrorist would be the least likely to wear an Arab-looking head garment, just as you’d be ill-advised to wear sunglasses and a Yankees cap in Waziristan.
The reason that kind of profiling is a bad idea is that it’s not effective.
Not likely. I think you’re way overestimating the value of that information, especially 2-3 hours before that follow-on leg begins. Without some other evidence of an actual crime or conspiracy, it’d never stand up in arraignment, much less trial.
Think about it from the terrorist’s perspective. It’s not worth the risk of asking that question unless the answer is somehow critical to mission success. So what kind of plan would rely on having that information before boarding the flight to DTW? A plan that’s not robust.
It’s not hard to find out without asking. When I exit the plane in DTW, I look over my shoulder at the screen behind the gate agent, or walk over to the Departures screen and look for the gate I just emerged from. 99% likely that’s where my plane is going next. How is that info less useful than 2-3 hrs earlier? And how is it even useful there in DTW… because I just got off that plane?
So I don’t see the logic for this being a real risk.
The DTW-ATL legs are repositioning flights for the 777 that heads-out from DTW to PVG (or in front PVG on the return).
Because the aircraft is DL metal, and must be operated by DL crew (and since DL does not have a base at DTW), they have to bring the plane and crew in from ATL.
These types of runs are likely to lessen once DL begins taking advantage of the single op certificate for DL/NW.
There are other ways to bring the crew in. They can be deadheaded from another DL station.
They sure could be – and most days I am sure they are. But, Mondays and Thursdays (at least the last time I looked), they (crew AND equip) are cycled through on those DTW-ATL 777 runs.
Thanks guys for ur input
My Plane: N862DA a 777-200ER and then departed to Shanghai (thats was the gate screen said after arrival)