Happy New Year to everyone!
Yesterday, our return flight from Atlanta was delayed by half an hour, but we still landed at the scheduled time. . . . At first, I figured it was merely the usual sort of padding that airlines put into their schedules so that they can inflate their "on-time arrival" percentages, but half an hour is a lot of padding. Besides, if that were the entire explanation, there would be a lot of flights arriving half an hour early, which I can't ever remember happening.
So my working hypothesis is that the scheduled departure/arrival times are based on maximum fuel efficiency, the equivalent of driving at 55 mph. When the flight departure is delayed, however, the pilot flies at a faster, less fuel efficient speed, the equivalent of 90 mph. It burns more fuel, which is bad from the airline's point of view, but it helps maintain the flight schedule, reducing delays and traveler frustration, which is good from the airline's point of view.
Am I right about this?
I think that's absolutely correct, but I have no evidence, other than having heard the pilot announce he would try to make up the delay time during the flight. How else could they make up the time than by flying faster?
Posted by: kristine | January 01, 2007 at 09:41 AM
Hm... I do know that busier and larger airports airports tack on extra time to arrivals and departures because of the time needed to get in line for takeoff and maneuver to/from the gate.
For example, actual flight time from Oakland to LAX and Burbank is approximately the same, yet the scheduled time is longer to LAX.
Posted by: A | January 01, 2007 at 12:11 PM
I had a similar experience returning from Raleigh-Durham after xmas. The flight was delayed by about an hour, but we arrived in Chicago only 10 minutes late. The pilot explained that he would try to make up the delay time by flying faster than originally planned. So ... I'd say your hypothesis is correct.
Posted by: Jennifer | January 01, 2007 at 12:12 PM
suppost to be management have done to that poblem. coz if that problem will be like that many passenger would go thru to the company..
Posted by: Juno888 | May 15, 2007 at 01:12 AM
Yes, airlines do fly faster when possible to "catch up". Also, they are sometimes given priority in take-off/landing "lines" if that makes sense.
Posted by: Travel Guy | January 22, 2008 at 08:41 PM