Holding the plane

[Lisamarie1369]

I would love an explanation for Southwest pilot, deciding to hold a plane full of passengers, for 20 minutes for a family of 5 transferring from another flight. So, not just holding for them, but seats were saved by the strews  and we had the luxury of waiting another 20 minutes for the passengers bags to arrive. Then, we couldn’t just take off- we got to wait for another 20 minutes for paperwork, which I’m assuming was total bs. When is a party of 5 superseding the needs of 140 other passengers? Who hasn’t missed a transfer, when traveling with kids? It happens but this is an egregious abuse to the remaining, paying passengers who expect to take off and land as scheduled?? You’d think they’d know better after the winter debacle of 2022. Seriously- the most absurd decision on mass transit. The flight was due to take off at 12:25 pm and we didn’t even close the doors until 1:15. 

[floridaguy]

I agree with you.  After the Holiday DISASTER as it has become known, you would think that instead of irritating the people already on board and telling the five that they were late would have been the first choice.

Call and ask for a LUV voucher.  Next time, if they missed the flight then they missed the flight.  What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

[dfwskier]

---

@floridaguy wrote:

I agree with you.  After the Holiday DISASTER as it has become known, you would think that instead of irritating the people already on board and telling the five that they were late would have been the first choice.

Call and ask for a LUV voucher.  Next time, if they missed the flight then they missed the flight.  What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

---

"for a family of 5 transferring from another flight" -- I guess you missed that part 

[dfwskier]

I'm sure several things were considered:

1) The likelihood that passengers on board would miss connections

2) The availability of another flight that day for the family of 5

3) The likelihood that the delay would cause other flight complications

4) Estimates of how much of the delay would be made up enroute.

The option causing the least complication was apparently to wait for the pax.

I can tell you that I've missed connections after being told the plane would wait - including one time when my connecting plane pulled away from the gate next to mine as my arriving plane pulled into the gate. Irritated the ever loving snot out of me.

You were a few minutes late departing -- poor baby.

How about your arrival...

[floridaguy]

No, I definitely saw that part.  However, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few per Mr. Spock on Star Trek the original series.

Time for LUV vouchers to rain.

[DancingDavidE]

---

@floridaguy wrote:

No, I definitely saw that part.  However, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few per Mr. Spock on Star Trek the original series.

---

You mean the Wrath of Khan?

[floridaguy]

The flight was due to take off at 12:25 pm and we didn’t even close the doors until 1:15. 

The post shows that they were far more than "a few minutes late", looks like they were a good hour late, or more.  

We just had a post where someone got to the airport with 35 minutes to spare before the flight left.  They were told that they couldn't make that flight.  So, if they would have held that flight an hour the person could have made the flight.

So, who makes these decisions?  Sometimes you need to have a policy and follow it, especially when this number of people are RELYING upon you to keep your schedule.

I say let it rain LUV vouchers.

[DancingDavidE]

---

@floridaguy wrote:

We just had a post where someone got to the airport with 35 minutes to spare before the flight left.  They were told that they couldn't make that flight.  So, if they would have held that flight an hour the person could have made the flight.

---

Two completely different situations with one person being late to the airport from their own sphere of influence and the other person being late from a Southwest connection running late.

I can only say anecdotally from my own experience flying a moderate amount that they don't tend to hold flights very often. 

It might help if the OP listed the airport involved - something like Destin or Panama City don't get many flights so the captain might exercise some latitude if the family was going to be stranded. 

Also if it was a route where they made up 30 minutes or more then it would fall back into an average delay.

---

@floridaguy wrote:

I say let it rain LUV vouchers.

---

They may give out a few from this flight, depending on when the arrival delay.

[dfwskier]

---

@floridaguy wrote:

The flight was due to take off at 12:25 pm and we didn’t even close the doors until 1:15. 

---

 I asked the OP what happened to the arrival time. OP didn't respond. Arrival time is what matters - not when they closed the doors.

Flights can make up time enroute. Also, many flights have "padded" scheduled arrival times and frequently arrive early. When you get in close to the scheduled time who cares when the doors were closed.

[floridaguy]

We don't agree but that's okay.  Just because you can make up time in flight doesn't excuse the holding of the flight for five people.

You could have left on time and still reduced time in flight - no excuses.

The policy applies to everyone equally.  Now, if an entire flight is delayed and impacts a certain percentage of the passengers, then I understand the delays.