Comments on: Are planes leaving earlier to lift on-time ratings?

By: Ronda

Ronda — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:16:48 +0000

i could understand airplanes leaving early and not giving people time to board due to late connection flights, but i think that the reasonable thing to do for those people who are left behind at no fault of they’re own is to provide meal vouchers and maybe a couple water bottles, hotel information, things to make they’re wait a bit more reasonable so that even tho they might not have the best start to they’re trip, at least they’re not completely angry. a little bit of costomer service can go a long way in these situations

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:07:24 +0000

This seems to be happening quite regularly. What David forgets are the people who are late for connections through no fault of their own.

This appears to be a breach of contract, as one previous commenter has pointed out. And, yes, I am a lawyer. My girlfriend was delayed 90 minutes in Atlanta last night, although she was at the gate prior to the scheduled departure time. And forget the “present yourself 15 minutes prior to departure at the gate”–that is (a) just a way for the airline to get out of denied boarding compensation, and (b) irrelevant when the airline caused the person not to be able to make it to the gate. (At least there was another flight–I was stuck in Phoenix overnight at my own expense last year flying Trailer Park in the Sky)

I have already filed a DOT complaint, and will be seeking Rule 250 compensation for involuntary denied boarding. After all, if they were able to leave early, it must have been because the plane was full, right?

By: David

David — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:03:11 +0000

Maybe flights are leaving early, but if you’re supposed to be checked in 2 or 3 hours before a flight, surely you can get through security and to your gate in plenty of time. I understand that some people can have delays that aren’t their fault, but surely everyone can be at the gate by 15 to 30 mins before boarding. Oh, I forgot, you decided at the last minute you wanted to check out the duty-free!

If you don’t get to the gate until the last minute then you’re holding the plane up for the rest of us. If you don’t want to help yourself, why should we wait for you?

If I had the choice of leaving early and making a connection, or leaving on time and having to rush, let’s go.

By: ric

ric — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:15:11 +0000

have low expectations,do not argue with airline people in the airport and document any true loss or personal indignity.
i have seen wheel chair persons told to sleep onsidewalk after an airline cancelled a flight,
passengers put in broken seats,
airline refusing to re-imburse for flights that were forced nack to ground when a cockpit window broke in flight.
teenagers acting wild in first class and flight attendents doing nothing but delaying
de-planning while local police chased them on the plane and ground.
airlines are a business…if people accept bad behavior it will not change.

I have found that kindness can often bring out the better nature in people
that are not rewarded for being helpfull.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:34:33 +0000

On his last business trip, my husband called me from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport…to tell me that the boarding agents were actually yelling at the passengers to get them to board in an “orderly” fashion. Now I know why.

By: MrBadExample

MrBadExample — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:54:41 +0000

@Beth

That’s only true if you’re dumb enough to fly the Trailer Park in the Sky aka US Airways.

By: Beth

Beth — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:13:37 +0000

US Airways’ policy now is that customers must be on board 15 minutes prior to departure. They are equally guilty in pushing back early and padding the flights so much to allow for the delays.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:54:28 +0000

The airlines know exactly what they’re doing. I was on a Continental flight from LAS to EWR supposed to depart at 7:00 am. The pilot announced during boarding that he wanted to leave 15 minutes early because he said leaving 15 mins early would mean arriving at EWR 30 mins early but leaving on time would mean arriving 15 mins late. Again, leaving on time would mean getting to the gate at least 15 mins late. Why then don’t they simply state the correct arrival time?

By: jaxon

jaxon — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:56:38 +0000

I almost missed a connetion at ATL because of this. I always book at least an hour between connecting flights, but then, invariably, my itinerary gets changed, and changed, and changed again by the airlines until my connection time has been whittled to 45 min or less. A month ago we were late taking off, then made it up, then lost it again as we rode around trying to get a gate, and of course, they changed my departing gate AGAIN by the time I got into the airport. We all know what ATL is like with those trams and huge, long gate promenades. I have never seen so many people literally on the run as I see in ATL. My home airport is O’Hare, and you seldom see it there.

We were one of the runners that day — down the promenade, down the steps, to the tram, up the steps, run down the new gateway. We get there with 10 minutes to spare, and I ask if there was time for me to use the restroom — nope, we are closing the doors. Then we sat on the tarmac for 20 more minutes, not being allowed to use the restroom.

I have an upcoming flight through ATL, and my hour has been whittled down, once again, to about 45 minutes. I agree with the poster who says they need to go back to waiting for their connecting passengers, or stop whittling down the connection times one has booked, or at the very least, do not close the doors until the time the plane is scheduled to leave.

By: Deb Smouse

Deb Smouse — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:14:16 +0000

I have noticed most of my American has left early on the last few flights, but I assumed, hopefully, that all the folks were loaded and that we didn’t leave anyone behind…..