Late pax and weather

Each scenario is always different. Just call SOC and have them make the call. They will have to whole picture of what is going on. What time the next flight is, if you are going to have to wait on the pax's bag, etc.

I would keep on taxiing. With my airline SOC would had to of given you the approval to push 15 minutes early in the first place and would have known how many pax you were missing.

When everyone from all different areas of the operation start making decisions on their own, the integrity of the operation deminishes.

You take the line of flying that a/c is on and if at every station the agent/crew held the flight for three or four minutes each leg, that line of flying woul end up being a half hour late. It might be an extreme example, but I have seen it happen.

The airline I used to work for, we based on decisions on holding for connecting pax taking in account all factors. The number of pax, when is the next flight, wx, etc.

It was never up to crew or station to make the determination whether to return to the gate unless it was for MX, Medical or something along those lines where it was a no brainer there was no way for the flight to depart.
 
Being a former supervisor at a busy outstation for xxx airline, my ops wouldn't call for a gate return for 1 pax. After the 30 min cutoff, the pax wouldn't be able to check-in at the ticket counter anyhow. He/she should've been turned away from that point. If said passenger was checked in already, then we would have to wait until the airline's(as written on their websites, tickets, boarding passes, receipts, etc) close off time which is pretty much the time they reserve to leave if the pax is not around. Once paperwork is turned in however, there is very little that would be done to add another passenger. Once doors are closed/jetbridge is pulled, there is even less chances of getting on. Notice i won't say never as i've pretty much seen, heard and experienced it all working for the airlines.


As far as the rich 3 stooges going international, i would know through the airline's state of the art software program that they are on their way and what chances they would have on an ontime departure. From there I would be able to set myself up for waiting last minute or just leaving without them. My former employer however was VERY strict about leaving ontime so i had better be ready to answer e-mails on why the flight was late. If the situation was as you described(no towbar/tug, Capt and F/O chatting it up with F/A, bags still being loaded, etc) I would walk/call down to them and explain the situation. Sometimes it's all about finding the happy middle and remembering my lovely wife, KARMA.
 
In the situation that Nick described the gate agent probably would get fired, simply because they should know the connecting passengers were coming, why close the door in the first place if the plane leaving isn't imminent?
 
Let me expands Nick's scenario a little more.

It is a last flight to your base and last leg of the trip. Crew had to swap the plane for this particular leg. Once they got themselves comfortable in the cockpit, they found a minor mx issue which needed mx attention.

Five minutes later, the mx personnel fixed the plane and FO got clearance with passengers completed their boarding with two absenet connecting passnegers. Gate agent sent the paper work into cockpit for weight and balance calculation. While crew worked on math, FO noticed there was another airline's ground crew park right in front of airplane. They just delivered two luggages. FO told IOE CA - "I bet 1o dollars there are two connecting passengers running to this gate."

Two minutes later, crew finished weight and balance and ready to push back. Doors are closed now. Crew asked to be pushed back with 5 minutes prior the departure time. Right before they pushed, two passengers showed up at gate. Would you take these two passengers? They had to wait for shuttle bus to their connecting flight terminals.
 
Dick move by the crew to ask for a 5 minute early push with knowledge of passengers connecting. Bad on the company to approve the early push. Would I open the door? Depends if we have pushed back yet. If the parking brake is still on then I would do all I can to get them on.
 
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