Another great story
01-28-2018, 04:39 AM
#14
Banned
Joined APC: May 2012
Posts: 520
Originally Posted by flensr
DAL - LAX, I'm hitching a ride sitting a few rows from the front.
We're ready to close the door and push on time, when the gate agent runs onboard the plane and finds a passenger. A hushed conversation, and it turns out her ID card was left at the TSA checkpoint. We have only 5 min left to push, gate agent tells the lady that he doesn't know if TSA will keep it a week until her return, and if she leaves to go get it she will probably miss this flight.
The lady gets up and gets all her stuff, and starts to exit the plane. The gate agent on the way out pokes his head into the cockpit, and has a quick discussion with the crew. Long story short, decreased headwinds mean we can push 15 min late and still arrive early. CA makes the decision to delay the push, and will let dispatch know it's for a good cause.
The lady is reassured that we'll still be at the gate when she gets back, the gate agent watches over her bags on the jetway as she runs off to get her ID, and the CA tells everyone that we're gonna push late so the lady can get her ID but we'll still be early to LAX.
The lady returns 10ish minutes later slightly out of breath but looking happy. The ENTIRE plane breaks out into applause for her and the crew that helped her get her ID and still make the flight.
We still blocked into LAX a few min early. Great job by the entire SWA team making that lady's week and every pax on the plane knows the crew and gate agent went out of their way to make it happen.
Nice.
We're ready to close the door and push on time, when the gate agent runs onboard the plane and finds a passenger. A hushed conversation, and it turns out her ID card was left at the TSA checkpoint. We have only 5 min left to push, gate agent tells the lady that he doesn't know if TSA will keep it a week until her return, and if she leaves to go get it she will probably miss this flight.
The lady gets up and gets all her stuff, and starts to exit the plane. The gate agent on the way out pokes his head into the cockpit, and has a quick discussion with the crew. Long story short, decreased headwinds mean we can push 15 min late and still arrive early. CA makes the decision to delay the push, and will let dispatch know it's for a good cause.
The lady is reassured that we'll still be at the gate when she gets back, the gate agent watches over her bags on the jetway as she runs off to get her ID, and the CA tells everyone that we're gonna push late so the lady can get her ID but we'll still be early to LAX.
The lady returns 10ish minutes later slightly out of breath but looking happy. The ENTIRE plane breaks out into applause for her and the crew that helped her get her ID and still make the flight.
We still blocked into LAX a few min early. Great job by the entire SWA team making that lady's week and every pax on the plane knows the crew and gate agent went out of their way to make it happen.
Nice.
01-29-2018, 04:16 AM
#17
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,898
Originally Posted by flensr
DAL - LAX, I'm hitching a ride sitting a few rows from the front.
We're ready to close the door and push on time, when the gate agent runs onboard the plane and finds a passenger. A hushed conversation, and it turns out her ID card was left at the TSA checkpoint. We have only 5 min left to push, gate agent tells the lady that he doesn't know if TSA will keep it a week until her return, and if she leaves to go get it she will probably miss this flight.
The lady gets up and gets all her stuff, and starts to exit the plane. The gate agent on the way out pokes his head into the cockpit, and has a quick discussion with the crew. Long story short, decreased headwinds mean we can push 15 min late and still arrive early. CA makes the decision to delay the push, and will let dispatch know it's for a good cause.
The lady is reassured that we'll still be at the gate when she gets back, the gate agent watches over her bags on the jetway as she runs off to get her ID, and the CA tells everyone that we're gonna push late so the lady can get her ID but we'll still be early to LAX.
The lady returns 10ish minutes later slightly out of breath but looking happy. The ENTIRE plane breaks out into applause for her and the crew that helped her get her ID and still make the flight.
We still blocked into LAX a few min early. Great job by the entire SWA team making that lady's week and every pax on the plane knows the crew and gate agent went out of their way to make it happen.
Nice.
We're ready to close the door and push on time, when the gate agent runs onboard the plane and finds a passenger. A hushed conversation, and it turns out her ID card was left at the TSA checkpoint. We have only 5 min left to push, gate agent tells the lady that he doesn't know if TSA will keep it a week until her return, and if she leaves to go get it she will probably miss this flight.
The lady gets up and gets all her stuff, and starts to exit the plane. The gate agent on the way out pokes his head into the cockpit, and has a quick discussion with the crew. Long story short, decreased headwinds mean we can push 15 min late and still arrive early. CA makes the decision to delay the push, and will let dispatch know it's for a good cause.
The lady is reassured that we'll still be at the gate when she gets back, the gate agent watches over her bags on the jetway as she runs off to get her ID, and the CA tells everyone that we're gonna push late so the lady can get her ID but we'll still be early to LAX.
The lady returns 10ish minutes later slightly out of breath but looking happy. The ENTIRE plane breaks out into applause for her and the crew that helped her get her ID and still make the flight.
We still blocked into LAX a few min early. Great job by the entire SWA team making that lady's week and every pax on the plane knows the crew and gate agent went out of their way to make it happen.
Nice.
01-29-2018, 06:24 AM
#18
Swimmin' in da pool
Joined APC: Jan 2014
Posts: 444
Originally Posted by ShyGuy
To play Devils advocate, let’s assume full flight of 143 total. You’re delaying for 1 person what the other 142 didn’t forget to do which is secure their wallet/purse. Yes the flight still arrived on time. But it could have left on time and arrived 15 minutes early. 142 people losing 15 minutes equals 35.5 man hours lost over this go get her purse deal.
01-29-2018, 06:28 AM
#19
Strike averted!
Joined APC: Mar 2015
Position: B737
Posts: 3,638
You can’t lose what you don’t have to begin with.
Is it better to wait for a pax (and win their repeat business) and arrive on time, or is it better to risk arriving early and waiting on a gate?
The people in the back would be more impressed that an airline actually cared about someone AND arrived on time vs. being 15 early (which nobody will marvel about within a few hours) and leaving someone.
Is it better to wait for a pax (and win their repeat business) and arrive on time, or is it better to risk arriving early and waiting on a gate?
The people in the back would be more impressed that an airline actually cared about someone AND arrived on time vs. being 15 early (which nobody will marvel about within a few hours) and leaving someone.
01-29-2018, 02:41 PM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,898
Sounds like SW has gate issues for flights that arrive 15 minutes early? You can’t do anything about that. It’s easier to accept that we left on time, landed 15 early, but then had to wait for a gate for 15 minutes. If we even had to wait, maybe the gate was open when you got there. We can’t control gates, weather, and ATC so no one can really be blamed for those. But if someone has a tight connection to make I can see where they might be irked. These are airlines with schedules. Want the plane to leave only when you’re fully ready then fly private. Good on SW for supporting the CA but at many places, no way would they delay 15 minutes. Ops would find the purse, tag it with the pax reservation, and have it shipped home (or wherever).
I wouldn’t clap if I was a passenger and found out we’re gonna delay 15 minutes our departure because someone forgot their wallet/purse.
Full disclaimer: I’m New York based
I wouldn’t clap if I was a passenger and found out we’re gonna delay 15 minutes our departure because someone forgot their wallet/purse.
Full disclaimer: I’m New York based
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