Flights are more on time in Denver and across the country lately, but airlines are padding the times
If you feel like your flights have been more on time lately, you are right. Things are improving when it comes to on-time performance and minor delays with the airlines. But if you think that's saving you time, that's another question. And some flyers are figuring that out. The airlines estimates of the amount of time a flight will take has slowly risen in recent years, giving them more room for issues or error. It's a process called flight padding.
"I do know for example, on a typical two-hour flight, that airlines are adding an additional 20 minutes of padding to the schedule to allow for delays," said Chad Kendall, an aviation professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver and former commercial airline pilot.
"So they make them appear longer, so that they can come in on time even when we're twenty minutes late," said frequent traveler Holly Brown-Borg.
What it does is help the airlines and their passengers feel better about arrival times.
"I think it's great actually," said Brown-Berg about the arrival times of Delta Airlines, an airline she commonly flies.
"Customers want to go from point A to point B very efficiently without delays, and so for customer satisfaction, this is where it's really improved," said Kendall.
It helps the airlines and the airports.
"They're on time. That's good news to that passenger," said Kendall. "They may spend a little bit more time in the airport waiting on a connection, that's good news to the airport, because then they get to use the vendors that are at that airport."
Other parts of air travel have grown slower as well, due partially to volume and the change in the business. There are smaller planes flying more routes. That gives customers options and choices, but increases air traffic.
"That means more airplanes on the ground and ground movements between the gate and between the runway. And so the air traffic control is trying to move them as quickly as possible. But when weather starts to delay takeoffs, then, of course. Now you may sit on the tarmac a little bit before you can depart yourself."
Taxiing times have increased on average across the country.
"Especially here. It's like 10 to 15 minutes taxi, because the airport's like clear over there," said Brown-Berg.
And there are greater demands on the passengers, too, to show up earlier.
"I remember coming to DIA back when you used to walk straight to the gate," said traveler Jonathan Boember. Now he arrives far earlier.
"To give you an example, I'm on the 2 hour flight, I'm here 2-and-a-half hours early."
