Originally Posted by
TheStrangerIn29K
For quick turnaround mileage runs, what are the risks on routes when there's just one flight a day to a destination from a hub, and then one return flight to that hub that day departs an hour after the incoming flight arrives. Is it almost always the same plane doing the return flight?
By risks, I mean what if the flight from the hub is delayed two hours. Will the return flight automatically be delayed two hours, or might I arrive two hours late to find that my turnaround return flight is long gone with a different plane?
And if that happens, does the airline need to accommodate me (flight on another airline or hotel) since both flights were on a single itinerary, or am I on my own because I didn't show up in time to board the return flight?
In case the answer is different for different airlines, I'm looking at AS flights starting from SEA.
If you book a roundtrip ticket, then airline would accommodate. If you book separate tickets, you're most likely on your own in event of delays. And no it probably won't be the exact same plane.
You'd be required to deplane unless it's the same aircraft operating as the exact flight number on the return trip - don't count on that.
So you can look for a round trip AS booking from SEA to, for example, LAX, returning on the same day.