How long do pilots wait for passengers of connecting flight to board before the door is closed ?

[Dave Hess]

Simple question:

How long do pilots wait for passengers of connecting flight to board before the door is closed ?

Do they know ____ amount of passengers are delayed due to their flight running a little late (20 minutes) ?

Or is there a company policy we shut door and no concern if 10-20 passengers get stranded ?

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

The simple answer is Captains don’t have any say when it comes to delaying flights to wait for connecting passengers ( not any airline I have flown for anyways ). Pilots have passenger connecting information on our iPads.

It’s up to the airline if they want to hold a flight to wait for connecting passengers.

While I am supposed to fly the flight plan speed , if I see we are going to be late, I fly as fast as I can to make up time. I do my best to depart and arrive on time.

Some passengers don’t help themselves booking tight connections IMHO.

 

[CKN]

The simple answer is Captains don’t have any say when it comes to delaying flights to wait for connecting passengers ( not any airline I have flown for anyways ). Pilots have passenger connecting information on our iPads.

It’s up to the airline if they want to hold a flight to wait for connecting passengers.

While I am supposed to fly the flight plan speed , if I see we are going to be late, I fly as fast as I can to make up time. I do my best to depart and arrive on time.

Some passengers don’t help themselves booking tight connections IMHO.

It seems to me that your chances go up that your connecting flight will be held (within reason-we all know it will not be a extended time)-is directly tied to the number of passengers making the connection.

Is that call made by the airline?

Any truth to this?

 

[Hall]

Some passengers don’t help themselves booking tight connections IMHO.

Passengers usually don't decide this. They book from point A to point B with the airline and the airline decides "that's enough time" for the connection.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

It seems to me that your chances go up that your connecting flight will be held (within reason-we all know it will not be a extended time)-is directly tied to the number of passengers making the connection.

Is that call made by the airline?

Any truth to this?

True.

The airline makes that call.

 

[Dave Hess]

If I book a flight I choose a connecting wait of minimum 1.5 hours just in case of weather delays, any maintenance issues, being held inside the aircraft because another plane is still at the gate and not pushed back.

We landed at MIA and had to wait approx 20 min before we pulled into our gate. I could hear a few passengers voice their concerns about missing connecting flight, they were headed to Key West.

I hate running (no joke) from one aircraft to another just for them to shut door 3 minutes after I sit in my seat.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

Passengers usually don't decide this. They book from point A to point B with the airline and the airline decides "that's enough time" for the connection.

I know lots of people who book through Expedia and I wouldn’t be planning connections that tight.

Each airline publishes minimum connection times but I wouldn’t plan things that tight in case of delays.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

All I can say is this; I take my job very seriously and treat passengers as if they are my own family.

I think I have a far above average record for on time performance and trying to make connections work for stressed out passengers.

When I know a passenger has a very tight connection, I brief the FA to move them up front ( if seats are open ) just prior to descent to allow them to deplane first.

Passengers pay my salary, I want them to know I did everything I can to try and make it work out.

 

[Hall]

I know lots of people who book through Expedia and I wouldn’t be planning connections that tight.

Each airline publishes minimum connection times but I wouldn’t plan things that tight in case of delays.

Here's a flight on Delta's website from CVG to LAX with a connection in ATL of 44 minutes. With no delays on either side, I presume you'll land in ATL and depart from the same terminal so 45 minutes shouldn't be that big of a deal. Of course the departing flight knows you were on the flight from Cincinnati and have arrived, so they know you're coming. If you were delayed 15-30 minutes though, which isn't that uncommon, you probably need to hustle !

If you arrived on a different airline (a non-partner), the ATL-LAX flight crew has no idea though unless you "check-in" which you could have done while sitting in the airport in wherever before boarding.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

I'm a fairly frequent flyer who has missed a few connections in my career. Some were my fault others due delays on initial flight. It's airline discretion. You must be in the boarding area at least 15 min before departure.

I recall one time where the gate agent took mercy after boarding and let me on. All others they restated the above, "You must be in the boarding area at least 15 min prior to take off."

Fortunately, rebooking on next flight is free and available with my routes.

 

[97prizm]

If I book a flight I choose a connecting wait of minimum 1.5 hours just in case of weather delays, any maintenance issues, being held inside the aircraft because another plane is still at the gate and not pushed back.

We landed at MIA and had to wait approx 20 min before we pulled into our gate. I could hear a few passengers voice their concerns about missing connecting flight, they were headed to Key West.

I hate running (no joke) from one aircraft to another just for them to shut door 3 minutes after I sit in my seat.

I know that for cargo flights like ups and fed ex at least at DIA they balance their time slot and the percentage of guaranteed overnight packages that they'll have to refund if they leave.

 

[CKN]

Here's a flight on Delta's website from CVG to LAX with a connection in ATL of 44 minutes. With no delays on either side, I presume you'll land in ATL and depart from the same terminal so 45 minutes shouldn't be that big of a deal. Of course the departing flight knows you were on the flight from Cincinnati and have arrived, so they know you're coming. If you were delayed 15-30 minutes though, which isn't that uncommon, you probably need to hustle !

If you arrived on a different airline (a non-partner), the ATL-LAX flight crew has no idea though unless you "check-in" which you could have done while sitting in the airport in wherever before boarding.

Having connected through Atlanta a few times-with their train system -it's very efficient from getting from one part of a terminal to another.

 

[GON]

Also a very frequent flier, with connections, I have seen a lot of different actions take place in support (or not) of connecting passengers.

What I have found with American Airlines, is their mainline flights will try and wait for connecting passengers. OTOH, American's regional airline(s) often do not care. These regional employees I suspect are treated as second class (not the aircrews), and it reflects in attitude.

I have great awareness of the thankless job all ground employees at a major airport. Just commuting to the airport is a hassle, then park and shuttle bus to the terminal, then security, all for a often low paying job. Nights, weekends, from gate agents to fast food employees-- a thankless job at many major US airports.

My last very frusting missed connection was DFW to LIT, last flight out to LIT that evening. I arrived at the LIT departure gate one minute after published boarding end time. Aircraft still at the gate, but ramp door closed and no Envoy Air (AA) agent at the desk. Tells me the agent could care less about connecting PAX, and likely closed the door early. I will let @Just a civilian pilot , and @Astro14 comment, but I suspect the last flight out on a regional jet, to a regional airport, could have waited for connecting PAX at least until the published door closing time.

In the gate agents' defense, they may not have thought I could move through DFW quick enough to make the connecting flight, and closed the door early as the rest of manifested passengers may have boarded.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

The only time I got involved and tried to delay a flight for connecting passengers was a few years ago and involved around 50 connecting passengers to an island in the Caribbean and it was on December 23 IIRC with no other flights until after XMAS.

The airline didn’t want to wait ( they would have liked to but were worried about the pilots duty day , but they never told us that was their concern …..until I dug deeper ) but I asked them to wait given what a shame it would be to ruin their holiday.

I told the airline it will all work out provided I fly faster than planned and they do a fast turn around at the destination.

Everything worked out and they all thanked us when they landed.

 

[Wylie6G72]

If I book a flight I choose a connecting wait of minimum 1.5 hours just in case of weather delays, any maintenance issues, being held inside the aircraft because another plane is still at the gate and not pushed back.

We landed at MIA and had to wait approx 20 min before we pulled into our gate. I could hear a few passengers voice their concerns about missing connecting flight, they were headed to Key West.

I hate running (no joke) from one aircraft to another just for them to shut door 3 minutes after I sit in my seat.

It floors me when I see connecting flights in and out of Atlanta with a 35 minute connection. That's basically banking on the arriving flight coming from the West catching the jet stream and getting to Atlanta early in order for anyone to make it. I won't book that, I don't need the stress. Sometimes the alternative is 3 plus hours on the ground, but I'll choose that over a sweaty run through ATL.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

Also a very frequent flier, with connections, I have seen a lot of different actions take place in support (or not) of connecting passengers.

What I have found with American Airlines, is their mainline flights will try and wait for connecting passengers. OTOH, American's regional airline(s) often do not care. These regional employees I suspect are treated as second class (not the aircrews), and it reflects in attitude.

I have great awareness of the thankless job all ground employees at a major airport. Just commuting to the airport is a hassle, then park and shuttle bus to the terminal, then security, all for a often low paying job. Nights, weekends, from gate agents to fast food employees-- a thankless job at many major US airports.

My last very frusting missed connection was DFW to LIT, last flight out to LIT that evening. I arrived at the LIT departure gate one minute after published boarding end time. Aircraft still at the gate, but ramp door closed and no Envoy Air (AA) agebt at the desk. Tells me the agent could care less about connecting PAX, and likely closed the door early. I will let @Just a civilian pilot , and @Astro14 comment, but I suspect the last flight out on a regional jet, to a regional airport, could have waited for connecting PAX at least until the published door closing time.

In the gate agents defense, they may not have thought I could move through DFW quick enough to make the connecting flight, and closed the door early as the rest of manifested passengers may have boarded.

To be honest, I can’t figure out why they close flights early at times and don’t wait.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

It floors me when I see connecting flights in and out of Atlanta with a 35 minute connection. That's basically banking on the arriving flight coming from the West catching the jet stream and getting to Atlanta early in order for anyone to make it. I won't book that, I don't need the stress. Sometimes the alternative is 3 plus hours on the gtound, but I'll choose that over a sweaty run through ATL.

Even as a pilot deadheading for work , I show up much earlier when deadheading as a passenger.

I don’t need the stress.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

Also a very frequent flier, with connections, I have seen a lot of different actions take place in support (or not) of connecting passengers.

What I have found with American Airlines, is their mainline flights will try and wait for connecting passengers. OTOH, American's regional airline(s) often do not care. These regional employees I suspect are treated as second class (not the aircrews), and it reflects in attitude.

I have great awareness of the thankless job all ground employees at a major airport. Just commuting to the airport is a hassle, then park and shuttle bus to the terminal, then security, all for a often low paying job. Nights, weekends, from gate agents to fast food employees-- a thankless job at many major US airports.

My last very frusting missed connection was DFW to LIT, last flight out to LIT that evening. I arrived at the LIT departure gate one minute after published boarding end time. Aircraft still at the gate, but ramp door closed and no Envoy Air (AA) agebt at the desk. Tells me the agent could care less about connecting PAX, and likely closed the door early. I will let @Just a civilian pilot , and @Astro14 comment, but I suspect the last flight out on a regional jet, to a regional airport, could have waited for connecting PAX at least until the published door closing time.

In the gate agents defense, they may not have thought I could move through DFW quick enough to make the connecting flight, and closed the door early as the rest of manifested passengers may have boarded.

I've had a few of those early departures (onboard the plane and off)...door closed early as 99.9% of passengers were there and onboard.

 

[y_p_w]

I know lots of people who book through Expedia and I wouldn’t be planning connections that tight.

Each airline publishes minimum connection times but I wouldn’t plan things that tight in case of delays.

I was thinking of that when I then saw your comment. Online travel agencies can book connections that aren't guaranteed - especially on multiple airlines where it's not really a single booking but distinct bookings where it cost less.

That being said, I've seen some pretty tight connections. Like a friend who booked directly on Korean Airlines with maybe a 50 minute connection time at ICN between two other countries. And that was a single ticket from KAL. At least that was guaranteed.

I have watched some episodes of the A&E series Airline where they were discussing what to do with a delayed incoming flight where there were something like 50 or more passengers from the same flight who were supposed to be on a connecting flight.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

To be honest, I can’t figure out why they close flights early at times and don’t wait.

One thing I've seen is to get back on schedule. I book through the airline and fly out of a regional airport near my home. The flight closing early and increased velocity on route helps make up lost time from earlier flights due to weather or mechanical issues.

I've complained in the past about the flight leaving early but usually hear nothing despite elevated status either the airline. Sometimes I get a few miles for the trouble.