FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Difference between AC.com and flytecomm.com?
Old Jun 4, 2008 | 8:49 am
  #3  
Wally Bird
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Salish Sea
Programs: DL,AC,HH,PC
Posts: 8,972
Originally Posted by ALW
I believe FlyteComm is tracking actual flight times (1:07 is about right), but is the flight likely to board on time then sit for an hour in YYZ? I know they're probably waiting for a landing slot at EWR, but the 6:30pm flight was actually flagged as departing an hour late from YYZ, so I'm wondering if they load up then sit at YYZ, or actually don't board until later. Clearly they know their slot isn't going to be much before 11pm.
Flytecomm and other trackers (flightaware etc.) get updated when the actual flight plan is filed, airline websites rarely do using instead their own internal ops dept feed.

US airlines will typically board as close to STD as possible and push back so as to get an 'on-time' rating with the DoT, even if they know the slot is retarded. I don't think AC has to report departure times to the gummint, so they may well delay boarding to a more realistic time.

Another factor is whether ATC has given a definite or a tentative slot time. Often flights load and hold on the ramp or taxiway anticipating a 'go-now' release ahead of whatever slot was estimated.
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