Originally Posted by
davie355
Right, the announcement is almost always an underestimate which is why I had no qualms about going to the bathroom.
Yes, it's possible it was "about 10 minutes" but see my reply to jackplum.
I think maybe you are over-thinking this. You understood that you were taking a risk, as small as that risk was in your experience but a risk nonetheless, and it almost bit you. It didn't so all's well that ends well.
Originally Posted by
davie355
By "trust" I mean is the GA accountable for her word? What if a GA says she will board in 40 minutes and people run off to the food court only to return 20 minutes later and find the flight has departed? Regardless of whether the airline is technically right or wrong, I think you will have a bunch of justifiably irate passengers. All hypothetical but I am interested to hear all of your comments.
I should mention this particular GA was warm and polite and I have a hope/suspicion that she would have waited the full 10 minutes if I had not shown up.
Again, I don't think "trust" really enters into it. How much control does the GA have about when boarding starts? If I'm not mistaken she can only start boarding when she gets the OK from the cabin crew. So if they tell her "about 10 minutes" and she tells the passengers, then the cabin crew are ready in 6 minutes, it is just what it is. It isn't the GA's fault.
And I would add that if you are within T-15 of the scheduled departure and there is a plane at the gate, you are always taking a risk leaving the gate area as things can change quickly. Even a 2 hour delay can completely disappear. I just had that happen last week. Flight was showing about 2 hour delay most of the day. Checked on my cell right as I was being dropped at the curb and still showed 2 hour delay. 2 minutes later I checked the airport monitors and flight showed on time. Thought the monitors must be wrong as I had just checked my phone so I checked my phone again and it too showed flight on time. They must have swapped equipment but I'm glad I had planned on being at the gate on time.