AA actually waiting for pax?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: MIA, VIE and DPS
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AA actually waiting for pax?
I am on AA38 which is about an hour late - due to waiting for connecting passengers. I've been flying AA pretty much since I was old enough to fly by myself - I can not recall them EVER waiting for me. All seats in F were taken while waiting - not sure how many pax and what classes they were waiting for.
But I will now miss my connection in LHR - any idea how operations decides who to wait for?
Also - I am not too up to speed on my European compensation thing - I was supposed to be in FRA at 1:15 and now will be 4:30 - MIA-LHR-FRA all using AA flight numbers. The fact that LHR-FRA is BA and within Europe doesn't help if I recall...
But I will now miss my connection in LHR - any idea how operations decides who to wait for?
Also - I am not too up to speed on my European compensation thing - I was supposed to be in FRA at 1:15 and now will be 4:30 - MIA-LHR-FRA all using AA flight numbers. The fact that LHR-FRA is BA and within Europe doesn't help if I recall...
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
It would be very unusual if they waited an hour on connecting pax. Much more likely that they already had a 55 minute delay (for other reasons), then decided to wait a few more minute son connecting pax.
I am on AA38 which is about an hour late - due to waiting for connecting passengers. I've been flying AA pretty much since I was old enough to fly by myself - I can not recall them EVER waiting for me. All seats in F were taken while waiting - not sure how many pax and what classes they were waiting for.
But I will now miss my connection in LHR - any idea how operations decides who to wait for?
Also - I am not too up to speed on my European compensation thing - I was supposed to be in FRA at 1:15 and now will be 4:30 - MIA-LHR-FRA all using AA flight numbers. The fact that LHR-FRA is BA and within Europe doesn't help if I recall...
But I will now miss my connection in LHR - any idea how operations decides who to wait for?
Also - I am not too up to speed on my European compensation thing - I was supposed to be in FRA at 1:15 and now will be 4:30 - MIA-LHR-FRA all using AA flight numbers. The fact that LHR-FRA is BA and within Europe doesn't help if I recall...
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Of course, they ended up rebooking me on some BA flight a lot later - by the time I made it to the AA desk i had missed the checkin time for an earlier LH flight by 3 minutes...
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Wow, that's very unusual! I hope it was a one-off, rather than a new trend! Although I can think of some very rare occasions when AA held a flight because I ( and a bunch of other pax on the same flight ) were running late, it's certainly the exception and it's always just a few minutes.
If it were me, I'd write in to AA customer relations to express how "disappointed" I was with the late arrival, especially because the aircraft, crew, etc, were all in place and they were all ready to go. AA _could_ have arrived on time. They _chose_ to arrive late. Should be worth 10K miles or more.
If it were me, I'd write in to AA customer relations to express how "disappointed" I was with the late arrival, especially because the aircraft, crew, etc, were all in place and they were all ready to go. AA _could_ have arrived on time. They _chose_ to arrive late. Should be worth 10K miles or more.
They announced fairly early on (about 10 minutes after scheduled departure) that they were waiting for some passengers that were delayed coming in. They reiterated that a few times as the departure time kept moving out.
Of course, they ended up rebooking me on some BA flight a lot later - by the time I made it to the AA desk i had missed the checkin time for an earlier LH flight by 3 minutes...
Of course, they ended up rebooking me on some BA flight a lot later - by the time I made it to the AA desk i had missed the checkin time for an earlier LH flight by 3 minutes...
#7
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
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Posts: 2,586
As an Exec Plat: I am not a VIP by virtue of that status (nor are any of my fellow EXPs), and I really really hope AA does not starting delaying flights so that I can make them if I am running late.
#8
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DCA
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Posts: 1,923
I have been on flights to Europe from JFK (AA 198) when there were some delays (storms in the east and midwest) and we were told that we were waiting for connecting passengers (sometime within the last few years).
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Over 5 years ago my late afternoon NS flt from JFK to LAS was held for 90 minutes; half the plane was arriving on a (very) delayed flt from LHR. There was a major boxing event in LAS, one of the boxers was from GB. At T-5 the captain announced on the PA: "even though the plane now looks 1/2 empty...pax from GB were yet to arrive".
#10
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: OH
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About 7-8 years ago, back when I was a Concierge Key flying over 100K on last minute paid business class (I easily spent $300k on flights that year) , I did have a flight held for me for about 15 mins (or at least that's what I was told). They picked me up with a cart at my gate and drove through the tunnels at DFW to gt me to my flight as fast as possible. It was much appreciated but I wouldn't want them to make a habit of it (even though it did benefit me that time) since I think it puts too many other connections at risk.
#11
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,107
Definitely not the typical situation. However it was the last MIA-LHR AA flight of the day, although they codeshare on BA's A380 that departs an hour later.
So one possibility is they could not (or would not) accommodate everyone on the BA flight. End result is leaving 35 minutes late, and getting to LHR an hour late.
So one possibility is they could not (or would not) accommodate everyone on the BA flight. End result is leaving 35 minutes late, and getting to LHR an hour late.
#12
Join Date: May 2010
Location: TPA
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Posts: 2,204
AA should have plenty of experience in dealing with misconnects, so they should know exactly it takes to rebook (cost, availability, crew timing). At some unknown # of impacted passengers, surely it becomes more cost advantageous to the airline just to hold the flight. Not common, for sure, but there must be a tipping point.
#13
Join Date: Mar 2018
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Several weeks ago my DFW-AUS flight was held for me and other passengers - because 22 of us were on that flight and it was the last of the day.
#14
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
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Posts: 5,270
AA should have plenty of experience in dealing with misconnects, so they should know exactly it takes to rebook (cost, availability, crew timing). At some unknown # of impacted passengers, surely it becomes more cost advantageous to the airline just to hold the flight. Not common, for sure, but there must be a tipping point.
If it makes financial sense for them to hold the flight, they'll hold the flight.
#15
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AA flight status shows the flight departed 36 minutes late and arrived 1 hr 2 mins late.
Not a cash bonanza for people just going to LHR, but EU261 would include the time of connecting flights within Europe, if the TATL flight had been subject to that law.