Thursday gone, UA958 (ORD-LHR) was scheduled to leave at 16:10 but was delayed until 16:50, later revised to 16:55 on the airport notice boards. We arrived on a connecting flight at 14:30 so it was not a last minute delay. Went into the RCC at 16:00 and was surprised to hear a final boarding call. Checked this with the RCC agent who confirmed that the flight was closing. Reluctantly (I did get some drinks certs that were burning a hole in my pocket...) we went to the gate and boarded to find most pax onboard and door closure broadcast messages at around 16:25.

With that background, could we have got to the plane at 16:44 and insisted on boarding? Would we have been chased? Would the close-off time of 16:00 been valid even if the flight had further delayed?

As it happens, it left an hour late at 17:10 and arrived at 6:10, 15 minutes after scheduled, most of that 15 mins being in LHR's infamous holding pattern.

This delay must be pretty common given LHR's 6am curfew so why dont UA leave on time and just cruise over at say 500mph instead of 580mph?
Why also, given the curfew is it scheduled to land at 5:55?


thanks for enlightening me!