Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I believe the OP was talking about a connecting flight that came in later than expected & THAT is why they allowed the passengers on. Not that the passengers themselves didn't make it to their flight on time. My initial connection in ATL to Managua was only 45 minutes. Believe me, I was crazed wondering how I was going to make that connection. Delta eventually switched my flight so I now have a 2 hour layover which for whatever reason still makes me a little nervous but way better than 45 minutes. So, if my flight from Milwaukee into Atlanta would've been delayed or late & arrived very close to the departure time of my Atlanta to Managua flight, that would not have been my fault, that is the fault of the airline for having such a stupid flight route that leaves their international passengers with only a 45 minute layover.
This. Those really short layovers worry me as well all the way up until the end of the trip because any delay from the departing flight can mean you miss your connecting flight. Short layovers are really a double edged sword. The long ones really make a trip drag, but at least you don't have to worry about missing a connecting flight. Over the past few years, all my layovers have been a mere 40 or 45 minutes.
By the time I finally get off the first plane and run to the gate, which might even be in another terminal at the connecting airport, it's already time to board, even if everything goes smoothly. And now the airlines are chintzy on compensation even for things that are their fault. I have a 40 minute layover from Denver to Anchorage, AK. If I miss the next flight, I have to wait overnight for the next plane. Yuck!
Sounds easy doesn't it? Just holding the flight five minutes. BUT! If there is baggage that has been checked, it takes time to get the baggage off one plane and onto another plane. That is a little bit more than five minutes.... It is more complicated than it seems, not as easy as it seems.
In the case of us and the DFW -> Amsterdam -> Rome case I mentioned earlier, one of our bags didn't make it (although we did). It finally got to us in Rome the following day after many, many hours of phone calls to KLM and Alitalia, who took over responsibilities for the bag. In the DFW -> Heathrow -> Paris case, the bags made it before we did since we missed the connecting flight.
Sometimes they do. I got in late to Atlanta one time and knew I was not gonna make my connection so I took my time getting there by stopping off at the restroom, etc. When i got to the gate, they were waiting on me. i did not expect that.
Last time I was on an airplane they loaded everyone on the plane on time and when it was time to leave the gate nothing happened. Finally about twenty minutes later they announced they were holding the plane for some connecting passengers. After another 30 minutes three additional people came on board from that late flight. Finally about an hour after we were suppose to leave we left the gate. An hour delay for three people.
We arrived late at my destination and many of the people on our flight missed their connections at the next airport. Thanks to those three people and the airline that held the plane for just three people.
It totally depends on how long the wait will be. If you were on the other side of the fence you would be happy they held it. We were in that position a few months ago: our landing was only about 30 minutes late, we could have made the gate, but they pulled away as we approach the boarding area. It can work both ways. What usually happen is: the airline has chance to sell your seat and do just that.
Sometimes, the answer is yes. Many times the planes can make-up time in the air and still arrive on schedule.
And if incoming flights are late there is a reason that usually isn't the fault of the passengers.
Yes, the "making it up in the air" fantasy. So because the flight left late because they waited for the connecting passengers they tell the pilot to speed up the plane so they can make up the lost time. My question to this is: Why don't they speed up the plane in the air all the time, people have places to go!
My question to this is: Why don't they speed up the plane in the air all the time, people have places to go!
Fuel costs. Just like on the ground, a lead foot from the driver/pilot makes for a higher and more expensive fuel burn rate. The airline's operations center long ago learned the best fuel efficiency speed for each aircraft they fly and pilots are expected to remain at about that speed unless they've got a good reason to make that flight more expensive for the airline. (Rebooking missed connections also counts as an increased expense, especially if they need to use a partner airline to get the passenger to a final destination. It's all about balancing it out for the bean counters.)
Fuel costs. Just like on the ground, a lead foot from the driver/pilot makes for a higher and more expensive fuel burn rate. The airline's operations center long ago learned the best fuel efficiency speed for each aircraft they fly and pilots are expected to remain at about that speed unless they've got a good reason to make that flight more expensive for the airline. (Rebooking missed connections also counts as an increased expense, especially if they need to use a partner airline to get the passenger to a final destination. It's all about balancing it out for the bean counters.)
Or pay for hotel rooms in many cases when the delay wasn't weather related. US just paid for one for me a few weeks ago after a maintenance delay caused me to miss my connection and forced an overnight. While they do have a contracted rate much lower than rack, it still cost them $70 or so--on a ticket I only paid $220 for. I was ticked as the plane was still at the gate and they closed the door 15 minutes before push back time--US also gave me a credit to use on another flight in an amount that we'll just say it cost them money to fly me that day.
Yes, the "making it up in the air" fantasy. So because the flight left late because they waited for the connecting passengers they tell the pilot to speed up the plane so they can make up the lost time. My question to this is: Why don't they speed up the plane in the air all the time, people have places to go!
They block out the standard amount of time that a flight should take. There's probably even a little "buffer" of time. (My flight to NYC, which is always quoted at nearly 2 hours, never actually takes more than an hour and a half from take off to touch down).
However, air conditions at the time of the flight may be favorable to a quicker flight. There's no way to predict wind speed, for example. But a strong tail wind can certainly speed things up.
Should they hold a flight? Yes, when I'm the passenger who has been delayed through no fault of my own and I want to make my connecting flight. No, when I'm a passenger on the flight being held and I risk missing my own connecting flight after that.
Good luck to the airlines trying to figure out for me and every other passenger, though! lol!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
