Pilot Allegedly Delays Flight for Meal

Northwest Airlines will investigate passengers’ complaints that a pilot kept them waiting 90 minutes because he didn’t like the meal the airline provided him.

Peggy Thomas of Ann Arbor, Mich., said she was aboard a flight from Las Vegas, awaiting takeoff for Detroit on Tuesday morning, when the co-pilot announced there would be a delay.

“He said the pilot is hungry, hadn’t eaten, and will only eat certain food. They were supposed to bring his food, but when it wasn’t brought, he left, and he had no idea when he would be back,” she said.

“We just looked at each other, like, ‘What?’ It’s so unbelievable somebody would make a whole plane wait so he could eat.”

Northwest spokeswoman Mary Beth Schubert said the pilot will be grounded while the airline investigates. She said passengers will get 1,000 frequent-flier miles and a discount on their next flight.