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Delta Flight From New York to France Turns Back Halfway Due to Faulty Toilet

Aug. 15, 2018
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2 min read
Flight Path - DL412 JFK to NCE Diversion Path - August 14 2018
Delta Flight From New York to France Turns Back Halfway Due to Faulty Toilet
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Thanks to highly sophisticated tracking mechanisms (and things called clocks), we know that the last five Delta flights between New York-Kennedy (JFK) and Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE) each took around 7 hours and 20 minutes from takeoff to touchdown.

The one on August 14, 2018, however, took longer. And it never got to France.

An otherwise unassuming Tuesday night flight across the Atlantic got weird when passengers were informed that they would not, in fact, be landing in Europe. Instead, DL412 turned around roughly halfway, flying all the way back to New York. Total trip time? 7 hours and 36 minutes on a flight to nowhere. Ouch.

Making matters worse is the reported reason behind the diversion: an inoperable toilet. Famed host, author and producer Andy Cohen just so happened to be on the flight, and gave a comical — if not graphic — recap of what happened in an Instagram Story. He states that with just a few hours to go before reaching Europe, someone "pooped... or put something down the toilet," prompting the JFK-to-JFK circle. He did, however, acknowledge that he managed "a full night's sleep," which tells you that he almost certainly flew up front in Delta One on the 767 — registration N836MH.

Not exactly the route you'd hope to take to start your vacation in France...

Hilariously enough, TPG himself reviewed this exact same route in 2015, though it's safe to say the outcome was helped by having landed in France rather than New York.

Others on the flight took to Twitter to see if Delta had anything to add.

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TPG reached out to Delta and received the following statement: "Delta apologizes to our customers for the inconvenience after Delta flight 412 to Nice, France returned to John F. Kennedy International Airport after the crew received an indication that the lavatories were inoperative. The flight landed without incident and the aircraft proceeded to the gate for maintenance inspection. Customers have been reaccommodated on an alternate flight and were offered a gesture of service recovery for the disruption to their travel."

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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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TPG Editor‘s Rating
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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.