CID to LAX direct flight
- Thread starter homerdance
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We'll be on the same flight to SD. Pretty good deals flying out of MSP nonstop
He didn't factor in the return flight
Alaskan is a shade over $600 for a direct roundtrip
I wanted to go and would pay a bit extra on a round trip to do it - but Chicago to LAX should be ~$280 on a bad day......$600+ is laughable imo
Not passengers ... LOTS of passengers, I think some of you are underestimating how many will be on the same connection.
You're right. Sorry about that. I never use the SW app and I didn't see the return flight on my phone.
Other airports you can try are San Diego and Ontario. Also if you can find the right price Vegas is a 4-5 hour drive. Not great, but if it will save $100's on tickets it might be worth it.
United doesn't really care. It's the holidays they will have plenty of stand bys to fill the plane should a plane come in late. They won't hold the plane unless it's a mechanical problem on the inbound flight which would make them liable for hotel stays. With over 700k lifetime miles on United I have seen them hold a plane exactly one time.
Unless you're Global Services, United will not hold that plane. If you have a GS flyer on your flight you may be okay.. But chances are very low one is on your flight. Also if one is on your flight he will make it to the next gate faster then you as United will throw GS flyers into there Benz's and shuttle him off to the gate. LA flights have a ton of standby customers and they will fill those and not sacrifice a delay. You're going to LA a lot of the passengers on those planes have connections to trans pacific flights. They could give very little about some flight from CID when they can throw you on the next flight.
Sadly even a 1K won't get a flight held for them.. Trust me I've been burned twice this summer.
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Actually fred I saw that happen once about 20 years ago. It was a TWA flight from Detroit to St. Louis scheduled to depart at 6:15 pm. I took this flight about 25 or 30 times over a 4 or 5 year span because if it had ever been on time I could have gotten home at a reasonable. The problem was that there was only a 32 minute window in SL for the Cedar Rapids flight and this flight was NEVER less than 30 minutes late leaving Detroit, usually later. This was because it was always late getting in from New York.
This one time about 75% of the passengers on this DC9 were vacationers (with grossly oversized carryons) heading for one of two destinations in California. We had just started loading the plane at 6:15 so tensions were high. I was used to it so I didn't care much. About a half hour into the flight the FA announced that while she couldn't make any guarantees, there was a chance they would hold the California flights since they were the last flights out that night. As we came in to land she announced that they were, in fact, holding those flights, gave the gate numbers and told everyone to proceed as quickly as possible to the gates. I knew they wouldn't hold the CR flight because there was another at about 9:30 so when we hit the gate, I stayed in my seat and let the crazies run for it.
When I finally got off I saw we were at Gate 30. I could see Gate 25, the normal CR gate, from there and saw the door was open and this gal standing at the desk looking up and down the concourse. When I headed down that way she saw me coming and hollered, "Mr. Chewback?" I said, "Yes." She said, "Get on!" I took off running down the jetway. As I got there the FA hollered at me to watch my step. They had already pulled the jetway back a foot or so from the plane. I think we were about 12 minutes late getting away. That is also the only time I ever made that connection.
I have a million miles total combined on AA, Delta, and UA. I have seen all three airlines hold flights for groups with tight connections. They may not hold it for 30 minutes, but I've seen 10-15 minute holds a lot. If you haven't you aren't flying much into the large connecting airports (of which Denver is one)...
This is going off topic and better suited for a flyertalk forum.
Either way you are clue less on air travel in the 21st century. I have flown 126 segments this year on United and have never seen them hold a flight. If your late they will give your seat to a standby customer. United isn't going to sacrifice on time percentage for 10 passengers when they have 20 passengers on the standby list like most of these LA flights do. At hubs there are so many passengers on standby they will fill your seat quick. That is of course as long as your not global services which they will hold the flight a bit. If
your any other premier or peon in the United system your SOL.
Yes, I happen to fly mostly international routes in business class. You'd be shocked how many of those flyers have major statuses like GS, Diamond, etc. The airlines will (and do) hold connecting flights for these people, especially if there are 2-3 on a flight.
You might be correct for flights around New Years to Los Angeles, I have no idea, but don't come here telling people like me you know it all.
Again if you look at my post I said they will hold flights for Global Service flyers. But your average flyer no. I don't know it all, however I've been living the road warrior lifestyle for the last five years that I know a few things.
I can't speak for United (and I wouldn't be surprised if they don't, given their horrible track record since the merger), but I've seen multiple other domestic airlines hold flights waiting for connecting passengers if they know it won't be long.
I don't think it's crazy to think that they'll hold a connection in the event that they can make up the time in the air, but I wouldn't fly under the assumption that they will
Holding for guests has become a dying deal. Many factors are taken into consideration. Status is one, but if they are protected by a later flight they'll pushback without thinking twice. Generally the largest factor is sheer number if connecting guests. If there are 20 regular people connecting there is a better chance if holding the plane over on GS passenger.
Many times when I'm at the gate they need me off the gate on time because another aircraft is coming into the gate. One of the most important bits of data reported to the DOT is what's called A14. Meaning as long as you're blocked in 14 mins or less after your scheduled arrival time the flight is considered "on time." So airports with finite gate space probably are not going to hold departures on the gate very long.
Many times when I'm at the gate they need me off the gate on time because another aircraft is coming into the gate. One of the most important bits of data reported to the DOT is what's called A14. Meaning as long as you're blocked in 14 mins or less after your scheduled arrival time the flight is considered "on time." So airports with finite gate space probably are not going to hold departures on the gate very long.
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