Delayed plane: Why is the delay on the departure time larger than the the delay on the arrival time?
My plane got delayed, and I noticed that the delay on the departure time was larger than the the delay on the arrival time. How come?
Is that a strategy that airlines use to reduce the amount of complaints among the passengers, even though they don't plan to go faster? Or does it mean some aspect of the trip will actually be done faster (e.g., higher priority to land, faster speed, etc.)? Or does it mean the original arrival time had some margin? etc.
Example:
Best Answer
Put quite simply the pilot will fly faster to make up some of the lost time. Aircraft normally fly at a speed that is most fuel efficient, which is usually a bit slower than what the plane is capable of. When flights are delayed pilots will try to make up some of that time by flying faster, by perhaps asking for a more direct route. While flying faster means more fuel burned, the airline has to weigh that cost against possible costs involving delayed passengers missing connections.
While there can be other factors calculated in for the OP's sepcific example, generally pilots will try to make up some of the delayed time by flying a bit faster.
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Does boarding time change if flight is delayed?
Here's the bottom line: If you still plan to take that delayed flight, you should be at the airport for the original departure time, no matter the estimated length of the delay.What happens when a plane is delayed?
Under federal law, airlines are obliged to provide a full refund to customers if a flight is significantly delayed and the passenger chooses not to travel. What constitutes a significant delay is determined by the airline, but Mr. Keyes said that two hours is usually a good rule of thumb.Are Delayed flights ever leave early?
This is important: on-time flights can and do leave early. So even if a delay is announced \u2013 then gets cancelled, your flight may not leave at the scheduled time \u2013 it may leave ten minutes early. Always be at the gate early.What does departure delay mean?
In terms of travel insurance, departure delay refers to your transport i.e. flight, ferry or cruise ship being delayed, through no fault of your own, beyond your scheduled departure time.Thousands Of Flight Delays, Cancellations Over 4th Of July Weekend
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Answer 2
I do not know the airports but in some airports there are several options for runways.
If the planning department allowed for the longest taxi but the actual flight has a shorter taxi time, the times saved can be substantial.
In Amsterdam the difference is at least 10 minutes, in London Heathrow about the same. So a flight that is 20 minutes late can come in on time by just being lucky with runways.
This does not work on all airports though.
Answer 3
Practically every transportation company will schedule with a bit of leeway. They all know delays happen and sometimes for the most stupid of reasons — for an aeroplane, this could be unfavourable winds. But they might also consider travelling at 90 % or 95 % rather than 100 % of their highest possible speed to save fuel costs (remember that air resistance is a function of velocity squared).
Another effect could be that the schedule accounts for a little delay upon landing; i.e. the aeroplane has a few minutes leeway before their landing slot so they have a better chance of making it.
These effects can be put to use to make up delays a little bit. Within reason, they can increase speed a tad to gain a few extra minutes at the expense of extra fuel costs. And naturally, they could even end up with favourable winds giving them an additional edge.
Unless you ask the pilot and get an honest answer, you cannot be sure what exactly the cause was; whether it was fast handling, favourable winds or leeway in the schedule that made you gain three minutes.
Answer 4
I've been on a transatlanic flight (North America -> Europe) that was subject to a late departure. This was due to the plane arriving late (Europe -> North America) by about an hour due to a strong headwind. On the flight I was on, the wind was now a tailwind, and the flight made up most of the delay.
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