الرحلة متأخرة كام ساعة؟

Simply walk up to the gate agent. Point toward the screen or your ticket. Say الرحلة متأخرة كام ساعة؟ (Al-rehla muta'akhira kam sa'a?). It is grammatically simple. The word كام (kam) is the magic key for asking "how many."

You will use this when the departure board turns red. Use it when you see people sitting on the floor looking tired. It is perfect for checking if you have time for a coffee. Use it when you are texting your ride at the destination. It helps manage expectations for everyone involved.

Don't use this if the flight is actually canceled. In that case, the flight isn't "delayed," it's gone. Avoid using it if the delay is only five minutes. That might make you look a bit impatient! Also, don't use it for bus trips in some regions. Some people prefer the word أتوبيس (autobis) for that.

In many Arabic-speaking countries, time can be a bit fluid. You might hear "Insha'Allah" (God willing) as part of the answer. This phrase seeks a concrete number in a culture that values patience. It’s a bridge between needing a schedule and accepting the situation. Airports are global hubs, so this phrase works everywhere from Cairo to Dubai.

You might hear الطيارة (al-tayyara) instead of الرحلة (al-rehla). الطيارة specifically means the airplane itself. In more formal settings, someone might say كم ساعة تأخير الرحلة؟. However, the version we are learning is the most natural for travelers. It gets straight to the point without sounding like a textbook.