3 ms·

The padding makes it easier for an average person to not miss flights. But it makes it harder for a smart person to schedule optimally, since now the data they

The padding makes it easier for an average person to not miss flights. But it makes it harder for a smart person to schedule optimally, since now the data they have includes an unknown fudge factor. Imagine if gas stations showed the true price of their gas plus a few cents. You’d be pleasantly surprised when they charged you $1.97/gal instead of $2.00, but your ability to budget precisely would be adversely affected.

more_corn 2y ago
You’d almost always rather arrive early than late. Padding helps you catch your connection, get to the rental car counter before they close, meet your ride etc.
hyeonwho4 2y ago
On the other hand, failure to budget flight time properly has larger consequences than fuel budgeting: missed connections, stranded passengers, passengers needing to purchase replacement tickets on different airlines at spot rates, etc. Accounting for the natural variance in flight times minimizes the costs of these inconveniences, presumably lowering costs to airlines and increasing satisfaction of most travellers. For myself, almost all of my connections are not within driving distance, and my schedule is usually unforgiving to overnight delays. I usually budget 2.5 h minimum for transfers, 3.5 minimum if entering the US because passport control has its own very large variance. Haven't had the inconvenience of a missed connection in the last 10 trips.
gopalv 2y ago
> it makes it harder for a smart person to schedule optimally, since now the data they have includes an unknown fudge factor. The fudge factor always existed, it is now the airline's job rather than mine. They have an incentive to pick a good-enough one, while adjusting it daily/weekly while I tend to fly once every couple of months and that too to a completely new airport most of the time. If you do the fudging right and leave enough padding, it makes everyone happy - if you pad too much, you lose business as several normally possible connections become impossible by the published schedule. Indigo did this in India a few years ago and the flights were 30-45 minutes longer on paper (like a 90 minute flight marked as 120), but because of their on-time reputation they got a lot of business customers who take multiple flights a day over other airlines.

more_corn 2y ago

You’d almost always rather arrive early than late. Padding helps you catch your connection, get to the rental car counter before they close, meet your ride etc.

hyeonwho4 2y ago

On the other hand, failure to budget flight time properly has larger consequences than fuel budgeting: missed connections, stranded passengers, passengers needing to purchase replacement tickets on different airlines at spot rates, etc. Accounting for the natural variance in flight times minimizes the costs of these inconveniences, presumably lowering costs to airlines and increasing satisfaction of most travellers. For myself, almost all of my connections are not within driving distance, and my schedule is usually unforgiving to overnight delays. I usually budget 2.5 h minimum for transfers, 3.5 minimum if entering the US because passport control has its own very large variance. Haven't had the inconvenience of a missed connection in the last 10 trips.

gopalv 2y ago

> it makes it harder for a smart person to schedule optimally, since now the data they have includes an unknown fudge factor. The fudge factor always existed, it is now the airline's job rather than mine. They have an incentive to pick a good-enough one, while adjusting it daily/weekly while I tend to fly once every couple of months and that too to a completely new airport most of the time. If you do the fudging right and leave enough padding, it makes everyone happy - if you pad too much, you lose business as several normally possible connections become impossible by the published schedule. Indigo did this in India a few years ago and the flights were 30-45 minutes longer on paper (like a 90 minute flight marked as 120), but because of their on-time reputation they got a lot of business customers who take multiple flights a day over other airlines.