Late Flight and ground services like PDB
May 31, 2019, 4:09 pm
#1
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Late Flight and ground services like PDB
When a flight is already late and is in danger of constantly pushing back on more time do folks here think that things like PDB and other ground services need to be nixed to make up any possible time?
Sitting on a flight that is already 45 minutes late and growing and the FAs are stopping people boarding to go through the whole PDB among other things.
What are peoples thoughts on delayed flights? Go through all the normal ground services or just get everybody on board and go?
Sitting on a flight that is already 45 minutes late and growing and the FAs are stopping people boarding to go through the whole PDB among other things.
What are peoples thoughts on delayed flights? Go through all the normal ground services or just get everybody on board and go?
May 31, 2019, 4:27 pm
#4
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Well flight is going nowhere until final w & b is brought up. And that doesn't usually happen until everyone is seated anyway. No indication that PDB slows down anything. YMMV.
May 31, 2019, 4:48 pm
#5
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so stopping people from boarding to get drink orders and drinks to seats does not slow down leaving if your late since not everybody is seated?
May 31, 2019, 4:55 pm
#6
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There's already usually a big queue at the back of the plane for boarding. So stopping a few people at the front to do the PDB really doesn't slow the overall process at all.
If there really is a time crunch the service usually doesn't happen anyways.
If there really is a time crunch the service usually doesn't happen anyways.
May 31, 2019, 6:11 pm
#7
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It's a judgment call for the FA's. Can they get the service done without slowing down boarding? Same thing is true for post-push service. If it's a long taxi, why not? If it's a short taxi, the Captain will generally have told the FA's and they will refrain from the service.
May 31, 2019, 6:20 pm
#8
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My experience has been that on occasion flight attendants use a late departure as a reason not to do a PDB. Personally, the way the aisles clog up in the back whilst people stow the carry-on bags, I don't think the PDB is the problem. It is all the carry-on bags that delay everyone getting seated and out.
My personal opinion is that the PDB is both a tradition and an essential requirement for the front cabin. If we can take five minutes to explain to everyone how to buckle a seat belt, we can serve a PDB.
My personal opinion is that the PDB is both a tradition and an essential requirement for the front cabin. If we can take five minutes to explain to everyone how to buckle a seat belt, we can serve a PDB.
May 31, 2019, 6:25 pm
#9
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My experience has been that on occasion flight attendants use a late departure as a reason not to do a PDB. Personally, the way the aisles clog up in the back whilst people stow the carry-on bags, I don't think the PDB is the problem. It is all the carry-on bags that delay everyone getting seated and out.
My personal opinion is that the PDB is both a tradition and an essential requirement for the front cabin. If we can take five minutes to explain to everyone how to buckle a seat belt, we can serve a PDB.
My personal opinion is that the PDB is both a tradition and an essential requirement for the front cabin. If we can take five minutes to explain to everyone how to buckle a seat belt, we can serve a PDB.
seems like international flights I rarely if ever see challenges with people putting bags up and at least in my experience flying DL or other carriers international everybody boards and is able to put bags up to the point we are usually waiting anywhere from 10-35 minutes to push back with everybody settled in.
point of reference I have been on international wide bodies and narrow bodies where everybody is able to board, place bags above, settle in, and we still have time on the ground to waste before departure time.
May 31, 2019, 6:33 pm
#10
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can somebody explain why domestic flights it’s such a challenge to board and for people to put bags in the overhead?
seems like international flights I rarely if ever see challenges with people putting bags up and at least in my experience flying DL or other carriers international everybody boards and is able to put bags up to the point we are usually waiting anywhere from 10-35 minutes to push back with everybody settled in.
point of reference I have been on international wide bodies and narrow bodies where everybody is able to board, place bags above, settle in, and we still have time on the ground to waste before departure time.
May 31, 2019, 6:35 pm
#11
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Most international flights get a free checked bag.
Flying in Australia domestically, where there is a stingy 7kg limit on carry-on (and 1 free checked bag), boarding can take less than 15 minutes.
May 31, 2019, 6:38 pm
#12
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My experience has been that on occasion flight attendants use a late departure as a reason not to do a PDB. Personally, the way the aisles clog up in the back whilst people stow the carry-on bags, I don't think the PDB is the problem. It is all the carry-on bags that delay everyone getting seated and out.
My personal opinion is that the PDB is both a tradition and an essential requirement for the front cabin. If we can take five minutes to explain to everyone how to buckle a seat belt, we can serve a PDB.
My personal opinion is that the PDB is both a tradition and an essential requirement for the front cabin. If we can take five minutes to explain to everyone how to buckle a seat belt, we can serve a PDB.
Regarding the safety demo, that’s completed during surface movement and no FA should be doing service at that point as we are only legally permitted to perform safety related duties at that point (picking up cups, safety demo, compliance checks) we should not have galley carts open or service items in the counter at this point (from flight deck door closure to 10,000 feet. Obviously you see flight attendants up and about and the reality is they shouldn’t be, but having carts/carriers open is a very noticeable violation. As with every crew, ymmv.
delta policy is that a PDB service should always be attempted. My variance from this rule is when catering leaves with less than 10 minutes to door closure. Because I have 15 other things I’m worrying about to make sure the door is closed and the delay doesn’t shift to me but I make every effort to get it done because i hate starting a flight off on the wrong foot.
May 31, 2019, 6:46 pm
#13
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can somebody explain why domestic flights it’s such a challenge to board and for people to put bags in the overhead?
seems like international flights I rarely if ever see challenges with people putting bags up and at least in my experience flying DL or other carriers international everybody boards and is able to put bags up to the point we are usually waiting anywhere from 10-35 minutes to push back with everybody settled in.
point of reference I have been on international wide bodies and narrow bodies where everybody is able to board, place bags above, settle in, and we still have time on the ground to waste before departure time.
A good greeter with also route the middle seats to the first or second aisle depending on congestion.
May 31, 2019, 7:13 pm
#14
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I never thought I'd say this (as a decade plus DL diamond who moved to tx and now flies SWA -and AA as rarely as forced). Carry on baggage is not the issue. Assigned seating is. SWA boards much quicker without the backups. The lack of seat assignments seems to prevent people seated further back being held up by those seated more forward futzing with stowing bags. It still shocks me but boarding now on AA reminds me every time how much of a problem it is.
May 31, 2019, 7:52 pm
#15
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I haven't been on many delayed flights where I'm in F, but the last one I can remember (SEA-YYC), there was a PDB service.
I think slow domestic seating is a combination of the checked bags issue, but also because DL (and most domestic US carriers) use boarding processes that reward status & spending rather than time/speed efficiency, as a way to encourage people to pay/fly more for better boarding. Faster boarding procedures include random boarding, or a window/middle/aisle method (which could be combined with back to front). These mean that people are less held up by someone stowing bags, and that there's less waiting for the aisle person to get up to let people seated in the window/middle seats into the row. Whereas Delta's main cabin procedure of C+ > Sky > 1/2/3 > Basic means that you're generally boarding from front to back (such that someone stowing bags holds up the line), and the aisle & window seats will generally fill first (meaning more time for people to get out of their seat to let the middle people in).
I think slow domestic seating is a combination of the checked bags issue, but also because DL (and most domestic US carriers) use boarding processes that reward status & spending rather than time/speed efficiency, as a way to encourage people to pay/fly more for better boarding. Faster boarding procedures include random boarding, or a window/middle/aisle method (which could be combined with back to front). These mean that people are less held up by someone stowing bags, and that there's less waiting for the aisle person to get up to let people seated in the window/middle seats into the row. Whereas Delta's main cabin procedure of C+ > Sky > 1/2/3 > Basic means that you're generally boarding from front to back (such that someone stowing bags holds up the line), and the aisle & window seats will generally fill first (meaning more time for people to get out of their seat to let the middle people in).