Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Can You Call Ahead??????

"I have a tight connection, can YOU call ahead and have them hold the plane for me?"

The answer to that question is plain and simple....  NO!  Chances are there isn't a way to call ahead and have them hold your connection for you, and here is one reason why:

Let's put you in someone else's shoes for just a second.  Imagine that YOU were already on the plane, and had a REALLY tight connection to make, when you reached the destination.  Now they are holding the flight for some twice in a lifetime flyer, and YOU are going to miss your next flight.  So when you finally reach the destination, they hold your connection for you, but there is someone else, on your next flight, who has a connection to make at YOUR final destination...  As you can plainly see, holding flights for people has a snowball effect on the sequential ones after it, all because you booked a 30 minute connection in ORD. 

If airlines held flights for people who misconnect all of the time, then nothing would run on schedule. The airline's small thread of dependability would be thrown out of the door.  If you have ever taken Amtrak anywhere, then you know what I am talking about.

It is something that I expearience on a weekly basis.  I fly up to 6 flights a day.  Let's say that I have a ground delay on flight #1, I can bet on being late to my overnite,or getting home to my hungry kitties, on leg #6, because of the dominoe effect of one slight ground delay.

As a passenger, you only have to think about yourself, and what affects you in the end result.  The airline has to consider what is the best for the majority of passengers on every flight, every day.  They have to what is best for everyone, not just one passenger.  As frustrating as it may seem to you.   Letting one or two passengers misconnect and be rebooked on a later flight is at times a lot easier than delaying a flight, only to have it escalate into a far bigger problem later down the line.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight...  Next time don't book a thirty minute connection!

 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

... besides, who would want to spend just 30 minutes in Chitown?  

Anonymous said...

That's so true!  Chicago is a great city!!!!!

Anonymous said...

unless it's cold, in which case it is a much better city after a stop at the bar :)