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I arrived Medan’s new Kualanamu International Airport to a notice from AirAsia that my flight had been ‘retimed.’
Medan is the principal gateway to Sumatra, Indonesia. Tourists can reach several of Sumatra’s greatest natural attractions within several hours of Medan, such as the orangutan’s of Bukit Lawang, part of UNESCO-listed Gunung Leuser National Park. It is a visa-free/visa-on-arrival port of entry.
(Sidebar: not all airline and travel booking websites have the airport code for the new airport, KNO. When booking, try searching Medan (all airports) or similar.)
The word choice ‘retimed,’ has a different effect than ‘delayed.’ Delay immediately triggers frustration. Retimed sounds innocuous, calm, routine, as if things are under control.
If US airlines switched to this I would say it is a weasel-word, an obfuscation. In this context, where English retains more formality, I like it.
AirAsia, a budget airline, gets kudos for a proving a snack box for this 70-minute retiming, much more for much less of a delay than supposed non-budget airlines provide. Since we are the last international flight out, shops inside international departures are closed, the Priority Pass Lounge closed 2 hours early, and we are behind gate security that prevents liquids coming in, the water and cake is a delight.
Readers, what’s your take on ‘retiming’?
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The term “retimed” can refer, of course, to any change of schedule, not just a delay. For instance I get emails from airlines saying flights have been retimed, and that could mean departures and arrivals are either earlier or later; or, as another example, a doctor’s office hours or the plans for a picnic may be retimed. But I’ll agree that using the term to talk of a delay on a specific, scheduled flight on the day of the departure is a bit euphemistic.