Originally Posted by rickair7777

At most airlines they can go early if all *revenue* pax are accounted for, they may need dispatch permission but it's common enough.

No airline is going to hold the door open just in case some OAL commuters might be coming. Nothing the JS committee can do about that.

Now I did see a gate agent get in trouble once because she let a plane go early right before I and five other deadheads from a late inbound rolled up. By the time phone calls were made, the plane had taken off.

After more phone calls and discussion, they ended up having the plane return Otherwise our am departure from the outstation would have cancelled. Turns out that while deadheads are technically nonrevs, they are also "must ride". Oops.