It was past midnight and I was just about to log off my computer, when I got a semi-hysterical email from a client scheduled to leave on a cross-country flight at noon.
She had just watched the late night news with a forecast for heavy rain, especially in the late morning and early afternoon, and wanted to change her flight. She figured a late afternoon flight would have a better chance of being on-time.
But in reality, she was looking at a far greater chance for delay, and here’s why:
Most bad weather at airports affects landings more than takeoffs. Which means your best chance for an on-time flight is with a plane that is already parked at the airport the night before.
A plane leaving at 4 p.m., as she requested, will almost certainly be on at least its second flight of the day. And once a plane gets behind, it’s very difficult to make up time.
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