Originally Posted by
MiamiAirport Formerly NY George
Happens a lot at MIA. I think this has to do with the large number of flights in banks of flights and therefore it's a non stop game of chess with gate assignments.
It's a game of efficiency as well, it costs money (and time) to send people across the airport to work another flight, but keeping them at the same gate wastes time while they wait for the next inbound flight. Also the need to make sure the gate has the right equipment for the aircraft, as well as arriving destination (ie sterile path to CBP). It's just the algorithm at work to save the most money.