JQ no show percentage

[Melburnian1]

There are two types of 'no shows' - those who do not show up for a flight at all, and those who after having been checked in for a flight 'disappear.'

I noted on a JQ list today that for a particular flight, 169 passengers had been checked in but 13 then failed to board the flight.

Historically I had thought that about one in every 20 passengers do not show up for a flight at all.

So on a 180 seat aircraft, roughly nine passengers could be expected not to front at all, and hence in theory an airline could overbook by eight or nine seats and be very confident that there would be no need to 'bump' passengers to use that USA term.

But the second group intrigues me.

Occasionally some poor old bloke might have a heart attack between checking in and boarding times, and sometimes a passenger might receive a text or phone call about some bad news meaning that they have to go back home. Occasionally someone else might forget a vital item (as the above example is for a domestic flight it typically would not include a passport left at home - rarely a need for that if you have a driver's licence as photo ID.)

Businessmen and womens' plans might also suddenly change, and some do patronise JQ.

But 13 passengers out of 169 getting cold feet within a couple of hours?

 

[Jousams]

within a couple of hours?

With OLCI I guess it's more like a couple of days. But regardless, 13 does seem like an unusually high number.

 

[Jousams]

Annnnddd I just realised todays date...

 

[Straubs]

Annnnddd I just realised todays date...

Wonder if that would really stop some one ... Would hope they'd notice the date on their booking earlier

 

[dajop]

Annnnddd I just realised todays date...

13 passengers out of 13x13 on the list on Friday the 13th ..... OK it's not April Fool's Day but I think you're pretty close to the mark.

 

[Mattg]

What I don't understand is how people with checked in luggage fail to board so regularly. If they've checked in luggage, it means they have made it to the airport with the intention of flying. Where do these people go??

 

[Chrizztofa]

What I don't understand is how people with checked in luggage fail to board so regularly. If they've checked in luggage, it means they have made it to the airport with the intention of flying. Where do these people go??

About five years ago I stupidly decided to do an all-nighter prior to boarding an 7am PER-HKG flight. As I had work the previous day by the time I got to the departure lounge I had been awake for 24 hours and promptly fell asleep waiting for boarding...woke up just in time for the final call and was the last person on the plane. I can't be the only person who has done that...

 

[JohnPhelan]

what i don't understand is how people with checked in luggage fail to board so regularly. If they've checked in luggage, it means they have made it to the airport with the intention of flying. Where do these people go??

the bar!!!!

 

[dk4]

I have to admit that I have OLCI'd for JQ flights before, and failed to board (or even turn up at the airport for them). I use to use Jetstar for throw away tickets for many varied reasons (mostly alternate flight flexibility, with a guaranteed seat - which is something that a flexible ticket itself can't actually guarantee), but that was years ago when Jetstar had cheap fares. :shock:

If there is no reward for not checking in (i.e. you lose total fare value either way) then I check in!

 

[under the radar]

and this is exactly why airlines 'oversell' flights:shock: airlines are businesses...they apply the cost/benefit analysis..if you cant figure out why your actions/habits lead to airlines overselling...that's not the airlines fault

think about that next time you get 'bumped' etc from your flight

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you all for a very interesting and credible range of responses. JohnPhelan was the best.

When posing the question I had in my mind that by 'checked in' referred in the vast majority of cases to 'checked in with luggage' thus requiring a presence at the airport but admittedly with OLCI and the desire of some travellers to travel with HLO this may not always be so.

A very good reminder to travellers from under the radar, even if some like me have thus far never failed to front for a flight on which I was booked.

 

[Straubs]

the bar!!!!

Definitely. Mum recently missed Her flight from LA to New York while living it up at the admirals club. Having travelled extensively, but not in the US, she kept waiting for a boarding call apparently ...

 

[astrosly]

the bar!!!!

Or shopping !!!

I remember the story of a passenger who missed his SQ flight from Frankfurt because he was too busy in the duty free shops to make the gate on time.

Back when QantasLink was in T2 there was 3 flights that all left at 12:10 from gate 58 (right at the end of the terminal) so one flight couldn't board until another had closed. I was waiting for my Armidale flight after a Coffs Harbour flight departing at the same time had been called. Waited past departure time, an announcement calling for missing passengers, another wait, another announcement, another wait, repeat ... then eventually a family of 4 came running up to the gate overloaded with shopping bags. They were let through and we could finally start the boarding for Armidale 15 minutes after we were due to depart.

Not withstanding that they clearly had more carry-on than they were allowed, QF had delayed other flights waiting for these clowns to arrive late for their flight. I don't think JQ (or LCCs in general) would do that so readily.

 

[dajop]

When posing the question I had in my mind that by 'checked in' referred in the vast majority of cases to 'checked in with luggage' thus requiring a presence at the airport but admittedly with OLCI and the desire of some travellers to travel with HLO this may not always be so..

Which route was it? Could people have been credibly connecting to DPS? If so, they may have done OLCI then had their DPS flight cancelled...

I honestly thought it might have been a bit of a ruse with the number 13 heavily figuring!

 

[Melburnian1]

dajop, MEL - BNE was the route. Superstition is as bad as astrology - I do not believe in either.