NWA's the only airline to have re-opened the aircraft door for me. I flew up to the counter, having pulled an OJ on a short connection, just as they were closing the jetway door. I asked if there was *ANY* way to get on the plane, showing my boarding pass, and knowing that the next flight out was in 3.5 hours. They actually opened the door, hustled down to the plane (asked me to "stay back a sec" while they pulled the jetway up against the plane), and knocked on the window to have the FA open the door.

I jumped on, took my seat (3A) and we were off about 3 minutes later. Whew! :-)

Last night NWA did not hold the plane (NWA Flt 193 MSP-SJC dep 9:00 pm) for me. I was arriving off a fligt from BOS and bucked a 170 kt headwind all the way to MSP. The headwind, the ATC holding pattern, and the ground stop at BOS added 38 minutes to a fligth that I had a 40 min connection.

I understand why NWA did not hold the flight. I think SJC Airport tower closes at 11:00 pm and 193 arrives at 10:59 pm. It would be easier to deal with one or two misconnects than a plane load of folks that diverted to SFO.

After pulling an OJ through MSP (G-18 to F-4) I arrived to watch the AC pushing back. I've never misconnected in all my travels, so this is a first for me. (and I didnt know the term until I started to read this board. Thanks FT!)

What I found most disconcerting of the whole process (ouside of the shock of *watching* my plane push back) is that fact there was nobody at the gate. No GA, no friendly smiling face to rebook me on the next flight, I stood there at the gate for the longest 5 minutes of my life waiting for the GA to come up the jetway. Nobody showed.

The GA that worked the flight presumably knew I (and another person from the BOS flight) misconnected. Do the GAs know that I checked in at BOS and was inbound? What did they expect me to do when I arrived at the aircraft free gate? What ws I supposed to do?

Anyway, the story has a somewhat happy ending. My new best friend (the other misconnecting pax) and I went to the world club. I have a membersip, she was my "guest". We were offered the next flight to SJC the next morning. We asked very nicely and were booked on the next flight to SFO that evening. Both she and I were upgraded (the World Club agent throught we were "together" and upgraded her as my companion) I got to my hotel 2 hours later than originally planned, so it wasn't that bad.

I was on #$@%$ta on a biz trip a couple of weeks ago. No upgrade of course, despite my then-GM status and very high fare.

Late arrival into ATL -- partly wx, partly a string of smallish DL mess-ups. And I find that my outgoing closed 10 mins before schedule, even though they knew I was in the terminal. Thanks for nothing!

NW -- please make sure you ALWAYS have avail for me so I don't have to fly anyone else.

Thanks.

I had an interesting misconnect in MSP a few weeks ago as well. Flight from DTW scheduled to arrive at 8 pm, actually gets docked at far end of F at about 910 pm. I am connecting to the ONT flight departing from the middle of G at 919 pm. Agent comes on and tells us that only X and Y connections held and everyone else should stop at gate and pickup up new itinerary and amenity pack. So I do that which takes a few minutes -- rebooked on the morning flight and a coupon for a discounted hotel room (the delay is supposedly weather related).
Just for the heck of it I go to the ONT gate -- no agent, the door is locked, the plane is still there waiting to be pushed back but is disconnected from the bridge.
I go to an agent who is working at the next gate who says she can get me back to ONT that night if I am willing to connect through LAS. And I am -- she sends me off to the end of G while she makes the changes to my reservation. When I get to the LAS gate, the agent looks it up and says "You could have made the connection." To which I reply, "Yes, if I hadn't been told that the connection was already broken and waited for the new paperwork." And he pulls up an exit row window seat for me and a boarding pass for the HP flight from LAS to ONT.
Since the MSP-ONT flight left late, I ended up getting in about an hour later.
All in all, not too bad. And while I applaud NW for being proactive and having me rebooked before I get off the plane in MSP, if they hadn't done that, then I probably would have made my flight.
It all works out, I guess.
tom

The only time in the past year or two where I saw a plane held for connecting passengers, was when a Delta VP was flying on the incoming late flight, and they held the connecting flight I was sitting on for 20 min with an empty seat beside me in F/C which he then occupied. Upon entering the plane he was warmly greeted by the FA's and the F/C service was impeccable.

During the 3+ hr flight I never saw a FA reading, chatting or swigging water from their personal 1.5 liter bottle. It was warmly profesional (for a welcome change).

MisterNice

A few weeks ago they held MSP-LGW for 20 mins waiting for connecting LAS pax. Yes, maybe a bit annoying sitting in Y for any more time than necessary on a 7.5 hr flight, but it kind of gives a nice feeling knowing that maybe someday they'll hold the plane for me http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

(edited for misspelling)

[This message has been edited by TrayflowInUK (edited Mar 04, 2004).]

Just curious....what is "pulling an OJ"?

Remember the Hertz commercials with OJ running through the airport to make a plane?

a few years ago my luggage made the connection and I didn't -- they had closed door and pulled away the jetway!! I was really p*****!

I thought I read somewhere that as long as you're pushed back within 10 minutes of schedule, you're still considered "on time" -- I've seen them wait for a *single* person several times (more than once it was me). I agree that it's a great thing for customer service.

DL does the same thing all the time... I have been both the recepient of such largess as well as waited on-board while the plane held for late connecting pax AND their luggage. Factors that make up the decision to hold the plane are whether or not it is the last flight of the day, does the plane being held have to turn around at its destination or does it sit overnight etc.

NW didn't hold the last flight of the day from DTW-ALB last night (Fri night). I saw one pax run up there literally as the plane just started to get pushed back from the gate. Man was he upset. I also never heard the boarding agent announce any particular name over the loudspeaker, just that it was in final boarding. The plane left the gate 10 minutes EARLY!

When he found out that was the last flight to ALB and he had to wait for tomorrow, man was he annoyed. Not only that, the boarding agent wouldn't do anything for him. She just told him to go down to Customer Service.

-RM

It was my understanding that SJC's curfew is more flexible than that and allows for arriving after 11:00pm as long as the flight was scheduled for before 11:00pm (given the headwinds, flights arriving late are common).

The tower doesn't close, I don't think -- at least it didn't a few years ago when we'd routinely operate lighter aircraft in and out of SJC at all hours of the night.

Steve

Even if a tower is closed at an airport, it doesn't prohibit a/c operations itself (unless there is a true curfew - or the airport itself is somehow closed to ops).

While SJC has a curfew, I don't think the tower actually closes. However:

Many smaller sized airports don't even have towers, but do have commercial pax traffic -- and I know of some medium sized airports that have towers which close in the 11:00pm - midnight range, but sometimes have commercial arrivals afterwards (usually because of a late flight).

The commercial arrivals just follow the airport pattern (i.e. downwind, left base, final) and use a common airport/area frequency for self-announce... Sometimes they'll do a "staight-in" at uncontrolled airports, but that is self-announced as well.

Best,

SDF_Traveler

------------------
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

Spot on SDF_Traveler, just because a CT's closed doesn't mean a commercial jet can't land, they just announce over the unicom frequency like any other plane.