Originally Posted by
OOfff
“put the delay on me” doesn’t really work anymore the way you think it does. agents still have to hit their timelines, and flight crew delays operate in parallel to that. the data-driven world measures things separately instead of on a single time line. an agent holding for nonrevs is still going to miss their metrics. wish it weren’t so, but we can’t offer the get-out-of-jail-free card we used to.
the parking brake still forces their hand, of course
It still works that way for me. Every time. I tell the gate agent before I walk down that I’d like every seat full and if it causes a delay for them to “put it on me”. The gate agent almost always smiles and their demeanor relaxes.
If it looks like timing is getting tight, I put a comment in Flight Family saying “Captain wants to wait for boarding remaining passengers and jumpseaters”. I tag tower, gate agent, and FAs. Tower normally responds with an “Ok” or a “.”
Never had a phone call or an issue come from it. No “carpet dance” or whatever people fear will happen.
I’m also proactive about getting them an “out” time as soon as the doors are closed though. It’s a team effort.