As a normal rule of thumb, airways don’t maintain flights for connecting passengers. Now, it occurs typically, and it’s taking place with an rising frequency, as airways make use of know-how that determines the optimum period of time a flight could be held with out impacting operations.
That being mentioned, when flights are held, it’s sometimes for a matter of minutes. That brings us to a scenario that an OMAAT reader has shared with me…
Southwest Honolulu to San Jose flight held for over an hour
OMAAT reader Thomas shared an expertise with me, a couple of Southwest flight he took from Hawaii to the mainland, which was delayed by over an hour to attend for connecting passengers. Right here’s his model of what occurred:
We have been scheduled to fly from Hilo through Honolulu to San Jose on November 29. We had a 2 hour layover in HNL and the flight from Hilo to Honolulu was on time and no points. I noticed the incoming airplane for our flight to SJC got here from PHX and was a couple of minutes not on time so initially our departure time of two:50pm was pushed out by 4 minutes – no huge deal.
However then we waited on the gate and the boarding time and departure time handed by with no announcement. Then it was introduced the flight was delayed by 20 minutes. I went up and requested the rationale they usually mentioned – they’re ready for some connecting passengers. So I checked on-line to see what flight that may very well be however noticed all flights from neighboring islands have been nice besides the one from Lihue to HNL which was apparently on a rolling delay and at the moment was already 2 hours late and nonetheless hadn’t departed.
So I went again as much as the agent and requested if we have been ready for the flight from Kauai which she confirmed to me. Then the agent informed me oh don’t fear the flight is already within the air. I informed her I can see on flightaware that it hasn’t even left the gate. And naturally I used to be proper… So we waited, and waited. After one other half hour I went up and I requested them in the event that they understand SJC has an 11:30pm curfew and in the event that they preserve delayed we’ll hit it. She mentioned oh no, that’s not for arriving flights (the second lie that day).
Any method, so one other 15 minutes later I noticed the flight from Lihue had lastly departed, by now 3+ hours not on time. So I assumed, okay, we needs to be boarding quickly. However nope… here’s what occurred subsequent. They waited till the ten+ people from that connecting flight have been at our gate for boarding so – whoever they have been – have been capable of board earlier than A1-15. So that they didn’t simply maintain a airplane for a handful of connecting passengers, they delayed a mainland flight a lot to ensure these connecting “passengers” boarded forward of everybody else.
I can guarantee you everybody was tremendous pissed off. I’ve flown Southwest for over 20 years and have by no means heard or skilled a “connection saver”, and positively not for a 3 hour late flight for a handful of “passengers” and positively by no means in order that they might board first.
Curious if anybody else ever had such an expertise and of those are simply rogue Southwest staff doing no matter they need to be certain their buddies get the additional legroom flights – or is that this a brand new coverage that they created?
For context, beneath is the flight standing for the Honolulu (HNL) to San Jose (SJC) flight, which was delayed to attend for connecting passengers.
In the meantime beneath is the flight standing for the Lihue (LIH) to Honolulu (HNL) flight, which reportedly induced the delay.
What may clarify the best way this Southwest flight was held?
I don’t assume I’ve ever heard of a flight being held for over an hour to attend for a small variety of connecting passengers, so what may very well be occurring right here? I believe it’s fully potential that the airline made the operational determination to attend for passengers arriving off that inter-island flight, despite the fact that an hour plus looks like a very long time to attend:
- Presumably everybody was terminating in San Jose, as Southwest has no redeyes or late evening flights departing after 10PM
- With the airplane ending its evening in San Jose, the airline presumably made the judgment name that not stranding passengers was the higher transfer
Now, on the one hand, I can respect that. Alternatively, there’s some extent at which you even have to think about the opposite passengers, who need to make it house (or to their vacation spot) at a semi-reasonable hour.
The second a part of that is what I’m extra confused about — why would the gate brokers wait to start out boarding till the passengers on the delayed flight bought off, and allow them to board first? You’d assume that they’d simply begin boarding as quickly as that they had a way of when that late flight would arrive, after which these passengers on the late connecting flight could be the final to board.
I can’t think about that that is truly a case of those individuals having excessive boarding precedence, or something, and due to this fact boarding being held. The one clarification I can give you is that there was somewhat extra to this story, just like the airplane truly being held as a result of the pilots from the Lihue flight have been imagined to work the San Jose flight, they usually waited till they have been off the airplane to start out boarding? That doesn’t absolutely clarify it, after all, however I simply don’t have one other good clarification.
Maybe these extra accustomed to Southwest operations than I’m can chime in with different theories, as a result of I do discover this to be unusual.
Backside line
A Southwest Airways flight from Honolulu to San Jose was delayed by over an hour, reportedly to attend for connecting passengers. Whereas it’s commonplace to attend some period of time for connecting passengers, over an hour is a very long time to attend.
That being mentioned, I think about the operations crew on the airline simply made the judgment name that this may result in one of the best general final result, on condition that the airplane was ending its evening in San Jose. What I discover unusual in all of that is that they reportedly didn’t begin boarding the flight till these on the late inbound flight bought off the plane, they usually bought to board early.
What do you make of Southwest holding the flight for this lengthy, and have you ever heard of a flight being held for this period of time?
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