Delays and airline policies

[Wim fan]

Suppose heavy snow fall is disrupting air traffic.

On the (brussels)airport website your departing flight (STD 19:00) is announced delayed (ETD 22:00), can you based on this info risk to come later to the airport.

So simple question:
Has some of you experience with trusting departure time info on (brussels)airport websites to postpone the trip to the airport?
Will airlines extend their check-in time?

What if in the end, the actual departure (ATD 20:00) makes you miss the flight?

Thanks

[Stij]

Hi Wim fan,

tough question.

First: it happens they'll still close check-in 40 minutes vefore STD, so if you have luggage to check in, I would be there at 18:00.

Then, if you fly a Brussels based carrier I wouldn't take the risk: they can always change equipments at last notice and then you're on your own in my opinion: you can't blame them for minimalizing the delay.

If you travel on a non-Brussels based carrier you can check the arrival screens, if the flight stays delayed, you can take the risk, but still, what if they rebook pax or something... you're on your own again.

What I did a couple of times was going to the airport, checking in, asking if it was really delayed this much and then go hme again, but I live close to BRU...

Cheers,

Stij

[Wim fan]

So giving delay information on the departure website doesn't help a thing.
The information is either not 100% sure or even if it is sure, there is no time to be gained from knowing the information, you still need to be there (if you have to check-in lugage). Left apart you don't know whether the info is sure or not, so it is always unsure

Brussels airport's advice to the passengers to check the website before coming to the airport is actually worth nothing? Strange!

[cnc]

you ALWAYS come on time to check-in unless the airline itself gives you a call. back in the days i almost always refused people who came too late even if the plane still is in technical or whatever. people think its going to the check-in, get a boarding pass and its over...
the information is worth a lot for people who are going to the arrival zone to pick someone up

[tolipanebas]

The information is also useful for people who use the modern methods to check in: web or phone.

If you don't have luggage and you know your flight is going to be 3 hours late for instance, there's no need to come to the airport on time just to sit by the gate and wait if you have checked in yourself.

[Wim fan]

* Case online check-in:
But when do you know? Wrong information is worse then no information.

Is some legal certainty connected to the information displayed on the departure website?
Can you based on that information be sure the boarding time is not going to be any earlier as say 40 min before the ETD?

* Case luggage check-in/drop-off:
Good to know that back in the days you (cnc) were refusing people, just because of the rule not based on the actual information given to passengers!
So what else is it about: going to the check-in, get a boarding pass, ...?
I'm not saying check-in should be open till ETD, but the normal closure time (let it be 40 min. or 1 hour before STD) can be shifted with the amount of delay announced to the passengers. Seems fair and efficient to me!

[cnc]

* Case luggage check-in/drop-off:
Good to know that back in the days you (cnc) were refusing people, just because of the rule not based on the actual information given to passengers!
So what else is it about: going to the check-in, get a boarding pass, ...?

if you ever get the chance to visit bagage control in the basement you will understand
besides you can not take it personal.for example if 1 or 2 persons are late its in general no problem, use LMC on the loadsheet etc. if 10 are late you can not.

I'm not saying check-in should be open till ETD, but the normal closure time (let it be 40 min. or 1 hour before STD) can be shifted with the amount of delay announced to the passengers. Seems fair and efficient to me!

if the airline doesn't say otherwise the handling of the flight go's as planned. pax should in no way make the decision when check-in and boarding should start and end just because of a delay.