Same plane / different flight numbers
 

I am flying MSP-ORD-DTW-IND on Saturday and I am pretty sure the MSP-ORD and ORD-DTW segments are the same plane. They arrive and leave from the same gate in ORD. This however is not a direct flight with the same flight number, so I was wondering if I have to get off the plane and board again with everyone else?

The scheduled time on ground is only 42 minutes so I am not sure that I would have time to get to the WC for a quick snack, and I'll be in F for drinks anyways (probably don't want to count on that predeparture drink though ;) ). Also I have 2C on one flight and 2D on the next, so it would be easy for me to just slide on over.

Thoughts?

You should be able to stay on. Inform/ask the FA when you board at MSP, but chances are they will not know what flight uses the a/c next, so they may be indifferent. They may ask you to leave so that the plane can be cleaned, but if you wanted to leave baggage, I would think that would be fine. Again, advise the FA.

Re: The club. 42 minutes of ground time is plenty to stop in for a snack. It's certainly not a long walk from the gate... :)

Definately. The rule is that if it's not the same flt #, everyone has to deplane.

Hm ok, guess I should just bolt for the WC then. I will ask the FA if I can leave my bag on.

Thanks for the quick responses.

You would want to go out and run your boarding pass through the scanner, otherwise you will be a no-show and they will give away your seat (in which case, technically, if you can find another seat, you would be a stowaway).

Ah yes, good point. I am guessing they would cancel the rest of my itinerary as well. Sounds like getting off the plane is the only choice.

When my Lab was a puppy we had this exact thing (except it was MSP-IND-DTW) with different flight #'s but same equipment & crew...the FA's demanded we stay on so they could play with him....they informed the GA who came on (seemed a little miffed until she saw the FA's playing with the puppy then she joined in too)....so my advice is travel with a puppy...it's amazing the extra good service/perks you receive (unfortunately he's 70# these days so his days of sitting in FC are long gone, and he won't go in cargo)

I bet it was pre-9/11, right? Things have changed since then. :) Welcome to the new NW.

Nope...xmas 2003

Leaving a bag on a plane is always a major mistake -- what if there's a mechanical and you have to jump for another flight in a hurry..... bye bye bag or bye bye flight. I'm a big believer in keeping everything with me.

Also, I had one case where we were on a Saab and the flight number changed in mid trip --- we went DTW -- Charleston, WVA -- Roanoke and the flight number changed at Charleston.

We were only at the gate a few minutes and stayed on -- but only got credit for one segment.

Bob H

Plus you get more miles with the flight numbers being different!

Not to mention the poetntial security incident this could generate, with an unattended bag being discovered left on a plane!

I've even had to get off the plane when its the same flight number. What's super annoying are the "direct" flights that involve a plane change and you don't even get the miles.

Ain't that the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How oftern does the opposite happen where you have been on the same aircraft with a different flight number going where you need to go? I haven't had this happen to me but plenty of same flight number having to change to a different aircraft.
While back, if you were flying from LAX to DTW via MSP on the 8 AMish departure, you could be on the same 753 but that's gone now. The crew that were on these flights stayed on to go back home to LAX from DTW. These all had different flight numbers but same aircraft.

HJ