Delta wins over delayed, diverted fliers with pizza

What's best to calm the nerves – and growling stomachs – of passengers on delayed flights? Delivery pizza, of course.

Delta Air Lines went with that option earlier this week for passengers on a diverted and delayed flight in Knoxville, Tenn.

The act of good will came Tuesday, when thunderstorms and severe weather wreaked havoc on many flights bound for Atlanta – the world's busiest airport and Delta's biggest hub.

A Delta flight that diverted to Knoxville was among those caught up in the weather disruptions. And it was on that flight that passengers received the unexpected pizza delivery.

"After we sat on the runway for two hours in Knoxville, the pilot kept giving us more bad news about not being able to leave ... and fly to Atlanta because of a ban by the FAA," passenger Riley Vasquez told ABC News. "Then after delivering all the bad news, the pilot said, 'But the good news is, we ordered you all pizza.' "

"As you can imagine, at that moment the plane erupted with cheer and applause, he added to ABC, noting customers were given a choice of choice of cheese, pepperoni or supreme slices. "It created an unforgettable moment of joy, laughter and relief on that airplane and at that moment. It was exactly what we needed."

As usually happens these days, passengers took to social media with pictures and praise for the unexpected customer-friendly move.

"Delta continues with class," passenger Bill Wittenmyer tweeted. "Stuck due to weather and the crew ordered everyone pizza. #deltaairlines."

This isn't the first time Delta has sprung for pizza to help comfort fliers during an unexpected delay. Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant says its part of an ongoing effort by the carrier to accommodate fliers affected by irregular operations, such as the poor weather that affected many flights on Tuesday.

"This is an effort that airport teams take charge of and have autonomy to do what they see fit," Durrant says in a statement to Today in the Sky. "Pizza tends to be warmly received by customers; this was the norm for many of the diversions on Tuesday afternoon."