Is the 15 minutes to landing the new 10 minutes to landing
#1
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Is the 15 minutes to landing the new 10 minutes to landing
A few years ago, the flight crew would consistently give a heads up at 10 minutes to landing on short haul. Occasionally there was the 15-minute-to-landing or even 20 minutes, which would normally coincide with a not very brilliant cabin crew. You may draw your own conclusions from that.
In the last two years or so the ten-minutes-to-landing went from an endangered species to an actual extinct one, as all flights I've been are given the heads up at either 15 or 20 minutes.
Have the SOP changed?
In the last two years or so the ten-minutes-to-landing went from an endangered species to an actual extinct one, as all flights I've been are given the heads up at either 15 or 20 minutes.
Have the SOP changed?
#3
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#4
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As scottishpoet noted it is sometimes 15 mins now. However the majority of my flights are still 10 minutes (including many within the last few weeks), if inbound to LHR that usually comes on leaving the hold. I don’t recall ever hearing 20 mins on short haul.
#6
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 38
Same as above. I've flown to BHD and EDI in the past few weeks and both have been 10 minutes to landing. Maybe they say 15 mins if they want to give the cabin crew a heads up that it might be a choppy landing and need to get the carts away a bit earlier. Shot in the dark that one so don't take it as gospel
#7
Join Date: Nov 2005
Programs: BA Exec
Posts: 647
The SOP has not changed, and the seat belt signs will come on at 10 minutes to landing on shorthaul flights.
Occasionally, by agreement between the operating crew, this may be changed to 15 minutes. This could be for a variety of reasons - usually, but not always weather related; another example might be if the flight is particularly busy and a lot of passengers are not seated (i.e. queuing for toilets etc.) with about 20 minutes left of the flight. In this case it is likely the crew will need more than 10 minutes to secure the cabin, and they will ask the Captain to bring the 10 minute call forward to 15 minutes (A321 CEOs !)
Occasionally, by agreement between the operating crew, this may be changed to 15 minutes. This could be for a variety of reasons - usually, but not always weather related; another example might be if the flight is particularly busy and a lot of passengers are not seated (i.e. queuing for toilets etc.) with about 20 minutes left of the flight. In this case it is likely the crew will need more than 10 minutes to secure the cabin, and they will ask the Captain to bring the 10 minute call forward to 15 minutes (A321 CEOs !)
#9
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Hi,
I have had a 20 min to landing call on a flight to MAD ( this was the 777 so understandable) and sometimes coming into London the 10min call becomes more like 15mins.
On long hauls the crew may have a lot of seats to encourage pax to put in the take off positon ( takes longer in CW and F) as well as ensuring the CW and F floor space is clear ( just one possible reason- I'm sure there are better reasons))
Regards
TBS
I have had a 20 min to landing call on a flight to MAD ( this was the 777 so understandable) and sometimes coming into London the 10min call becomes more like 15mins.
On long hauls the crew may have a lot of seats to encourage pax to put in the take off positon ( takes longer in CW and F) as well as ensuring the CW and F floor space is clear ( just one possible reason- I'm sure there are better reasons))
Regards
TBS
#10
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
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I had "just under ten minutes" only the other day. Always seems to be 20 on long haul. And a flight deck announcement 40 minutes before landing, which is usually my wake up call
#11
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 587
Usually, on short haul, flight crew will give their little speech at 20 (ish) ish mins to landing, with another warning of 10 mins to landing followed by the seat belt sign. This is all time permitting though and tends to vary slightly. Sometimes you just get a 10 min warning if the FC have been busy.
On long haul we get 40 minutes and 20 minutes and this is more consistent.
On long haul we get 40 minutes and 20 minutes and this is more consistent.
#12
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At least to me, top of descent on long haul is about 45 minutes before, so it seems quite plausible to me that the flight crew would easily be able to announce 40 minutes shortly after beginning descent. To me, the decrease in engine power at TOD is my cue to get my stuff organised, head for the toilet, etc, to beat the queue at the 40 minute announcement where everyone rushes the lavs.
#15
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I always seem to get 20 minutes chat and 10 minutes call on short haul and 40 minutes "hello again" and 20 minutes call on long haul. I have heard the odd 15 minutes short haul but that remains rare in my experience. What does happen is that the 20 minutes chat is then followed by the 10 minutes call about 2 minutes later when the cockpit are offered a shortcut! (other times, of course, the 10 minutes call really comes 30 minutes before landing if we are sentenced to the LHR holding patter for a while...)