Do airplanes wait for you if you're running late?..

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Neil

It depends.

If you're talking about YOU running late (not getting to the airport on time) you can forget it, unless you are a U.S. senator or something.

If you're talking about whether a connecting flight will be held for you if your incoming flight is late, the answer is: Maybe. I have been told that my connecting flight was being held, only to arrive at the gate having run the whole way and find that it had not been. I have been told it would be and made the flight. I have been told it could not be, gone to the connecting gate anyway, arriving after scheduled departure time, and made the flight. I have been told more than once that the flight would not and could not be held, and it wasn't. And I have sat many times on planes otherwise ready to leave while we have waited for connecting passengers from a delayed flight, and/or for their luggage.

Ryan J

Not usually. With flights being cut back, there are more and more stand by passangers. If you running late, the airline will have no problem giving up your seat for a stand by passenger who is standing by the gate ready to board. However, as Melissa mentioned if your running late from a connection, they may hold the plane there for a short while as long as there are several passengers on the same flight your on also trying to catch the flight your running late for.

Several months ago I was flying a non-stop flight from Salt Lake City to Fort Lauderdale and everyone who was at the gate boarded the plane. After a good 20 minutes we had all boarded the plane but still sitting at the gate. We start getting a little irritated why we havn't left yet. Finally a flight attendand told us that we were waiting for passengers from the flight from Las Vegas. 10 minutes later about 40-50 people rushed on...all looking frazzeled but happy the made it. So flights do wait....but its very circumstancial.

Melissa

No, generally not. They never really wait for someone who is running late getting to the airport. Every once in a while they might try to call the gate and see if they can hold the plane for someone who has checked in late, but typically they can't or won't - it puts other planes behind and isn't really fair to the passengers on board.

Sometimes, when you are late for a connection because your first flight was delayed, they will hold the connecting plane for a few minutes. They are more likely to do this when there are several passengers from the first flight due to catch the next one, less likely to do it for one person.

The longest they will hold the plane is really just a few minutes - 10-15. But you can't count on them to hold it because, more often than not, they won't.

Ms Phoebe Collins

in most cases they will give you a couple of last callings. But the aircraft will leave on the designated time. They usually start boarding the flight 20-30 minutes before hand so they will always leave on time weather you are there or not due to if they miss that slot they could have to wait a very long time for the next one.

Snickers Bar

sometimes
your chances are slim to nothing
so get there 2 hours early
also if your late
they might wait for you if they know for a fact that your coming, but they may remove your luggage
try not to be late ok

JonEff

No.

Cant delay a full aircraft of people just because one person cant get to the airport for when they are meant to be there.

-haley. (:

no, they will make a call through the gate area sometimes if your running late saying that the door will be closing in like 1 minute and that is the final boarding call.

M A

Yes...but only under these circumstances. If there are other people that are delayed as well (from other flights or your own) that would be a significant of people. If there are no other flights that day, or if there are they are full. When I flew to Germany we delayed 45 minutes because there was about 40 people total from various different flights so it was worth it to make us wait.

TiffyT

Not usually. If they do wait the most they will wait is about 10 minutes. Its much easier to take care of the one person who misses their flight than the everyone being delayed.

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