First departure in the morning moving up to 530am
Mar 13, 2015, 6:03 pm
#31
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,267
I try to shy away from morning flights altogether. I'd rather leave work early and take the last flight of the night then leave in the early am.
Now when I used to work overnight I would go to work for a few hours and then leave about 5am to catch a 7am flight. At the time I was flying fll-Tpa and the flights were essentially me and pilots who had flown the red eye. We were a very peppy bunch!
Now when I used to work overnight I would go to work for a few hours and then leave about 5am to catch a 7am flight. At the time I was flying fll-Tpa and the flights were essentially me and pilots who had flown the red eye. We were a very peppy bunch!
Apr 17, 2015, 8:43 am
#33
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
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Recently, there was some discussion about very early departures and very late arrivals in this thread: First departure in the morning moving up to 530am.
The 1:50am arrival was also the latest arrival that I could find (as I noted in that thread):
There are worse. For example, July 19th (and others) - LAS-MDW #650 departs at 8:25pm and arrives at 1:50am(+1).
Any 2:00am or later arrivals?
I'm curious - Are there any 2:00am (or later) arrivals anywhere in the system?
The 1:50am arrival was also the latest arrival that I could find (as I noted in that thread):
Looking the other direction, I've run across my first sighting of a scheduled WN arrival after 1:00am. In the summer schedule flight 3299 leaves Midway at ten pm and is scheduled into Boston at 1:10am.
I've seen plenty of arrivals after midnight in the last several schedule releases here and there, but this is the first time I've seen an arrival scheduled that late. I wouldn't care to be on the flight when that aircraft suffered from T-storm delays earlier in the day.
I've seen plenty of arrivals after midnight in the last several schedule releases here and there, but this is the first time I've seen an arrival scheduled that late. I wouldn't care to be on the flight when that aircraft suffered from T-storm delays earlier in the day.
Any 2:00am or later arrivals?
Apr 17, 2015, 9:23 am
#34
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,698
Thanks, my bad for starting another thread, I do vaguely recall that one. Mod, please merge. So much for that theory that the existing res system couldn't handle after midnight arrivals. I reckon that MDW is such an important scheduling hub that getting the planes in there, no matter what time, is essential.
Apr 17, 2015, 10:35 am
#35
Join Date: May 2007
Location: MDW
Programs: WN CP & A-List Pref, HH Gold, Marriott LT PP
Posts: 708
With these 1:50am arrivals being the very last flights of the day for these aircraft, better hope there are no earlier delays on the segments they are flying. Otherwise, you will be landing at MDW as the sun rises.
With the first departures leaving MDW around 5:30am, you could almost do a custom connection "red-eye" heading east with a 3 hour nap layover at MDW.
With the first departures leaving MDW around 5:30am, you could almost do a custom connection "red-eye" heading east with a 3 hour nap layover at MDW.
Apr 17, 2015, 10:41 am
#36
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
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Thanks, my bad for starting another thread, I do vaguely recall that one. Mod, please merge. So much for that theory that the existing res system couldn't handle after midnight arrivals. I reckon that MDW is such an important scheduling hub that getting the planes in there, no matter what time, is essential.
. The cutoff is not at midnight. It is at 2-3am Central (I forget which without double checking parameters) Hence every red-eye is out.
Jul 7, 2018, 7:52 am
#37
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Join Date: May 2000
Location: RDU
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LAS-AUS WN2255 is the latest I've ever seen - 9:20pm-1:55am, a brutal 2:35 non-stop "red-eye". Note that the earlier eastbound non-stops are blocked out at 2:50, but that would push the flight past the magic 2AM time. Several of the recent arrivals have been after 2am.
Jul 17, 2018, 4:45 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 8
Southwest has been very assertive at scheduling flights departing in the 5-6 and arriving in the Midnight-2a windows. This article by Skift notes that they are flying with fewer aircraft than usual as a sub-fleet had to be retired sooner than optimal. https://skift.com/2018/04/05/southwe...t-shortage/12/
I've flown DEN-MDW a few times before on flights arriving after Midnight. If you want to nap for a few hours, the C Concourse (north of the security checkpoint) is usually the most empty area of the airport. If you want to get to the loop, note that the CTA Orange Line is closed from 1:00-3:30; the CTA modifies its 62-Archer route to service the airport overnight. I've used both options to get to the Greyhound station after late flights for an early-morning coach departure and haven't had any issues.
I've flown DEN-MDW a few times before on flights arriving after Midnight. If you want to nap for a few hours, the C Concourse (north of the security checkpoint) is usually the most empty area of the airport. If you want to get to the loop, note that the CTA Orange Line is closed from 1:00-3:30; the CTA modifies its 62-Archer route to service the airport overnight. I've used both options to get to the Greyhound station after late flights for an early-morning coach departure and haven't had any issues.
Jul 19, 2018, 12:10 pm
#42
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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Well, I would think that flights to Hawaii will eventually lead to the need for redeyes, if WN intends to connect Hawaii to the remainder of their route system. Sure, you can fly back and forth to the West Coast during the day, but what if you are trying to get to, say, Providence. One of the segments is likely to be a redeye.
Jul 19, 2018, 12:28 pm
#43
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,698
One would like to think so, but then again this is Southwest. There are plenty of international destinations where you can get to one way but not back! And one would think ATL would have become a major "hub" after AirTran but guess again. Only time will tell!
Jul 20, 2018, 6:10 am
#45
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 129
MCI-MCO is a 5:10am departure, 4:40am boarding. MCI has ~10 flights per day (WN, UA, AA, DL) that depart earlier than 6am.
Last edited by msglsmo; Jul 20, 2018 at 6:11 am Reason: spelling