SW Flight - stop with no plane change

[ACJT]

I'm looking at booking a SW flight that indicates a stop, but no plane change.
Based on the time of a direct flight from DTW to MCO, the plane will be sitting for about 1hr, 20min. Can we take the kids off into the terminal in that time to stretch their legs etc.??

 

[msmayor]

I seriously doubt that you will be on the ground for 80 minutes...generally these one-stop flights without a plane change are FAST on the ground...no more than 30 minutes or so.

We've always remained on board. Once passengers who have reached their final destination have deplaned, flight attendants want everyone in their seats to get an accurate head-count of those remaining on-board. They pass this information to the gate attendants who can then decide whether any stand-by passengers can get on.

Getting OFF at that stop means you no longer have a boarding pass...to my knowledge they don't offer up one to allow to get off and stretch your legs.

We took the opportunity to stretch our legs and change seats while ON the plane. Flight attendants are scrambling to clean and prepare for the next set of passengers. We had about 10 minutes from the time the first set of passengers walked off until the next set started boarding.

 

[ironz]

Right...and you have to factor in the time for another landing and take off and taxi time. SW planes don't sit on the ground very long. They are pretty efficient.

 

[eeyoregon]

They will not let you off the plane...we have had 5 "touchdown" flights on SWA and we had to stay in our seats for a head count and then we could change seats BUT could NOT leave the plane. New passengers boarded and we took off again.

The first time I made the mistake of assuming we could get off and grab something to eat in the 1 hour on the ground and didn't pack any food except for a few snacks. By the time our 7+ hour flight landed we were STARVED!!

 

[disneymayz]

IF you are on the ground that long then they will let you off after they do their head counts. We had an extended stay in Denver and they let us off the plane. We had to check in on our way out and we HAD to be back 10-15 mins before they were going to board the next group. So it is poss. for them to let you off and strech legs. We let our kids run around so they can burn off some of that crampness.

 

[Brian Noble]

I would assume that you cannot get off. You might, but it does not seem to be common.

 

[dburg30]

This last week we flew into BWI and then onto our destination. There were pass thrus that were on the plane that WERE allowed off. They had to check with the gate attendant (they had a list of names) so they knew they got off. They came back, and rechecked with the GA and went back on the plane. So I dont know how they decide if you can or cant get off or whatever, but I watched them do it.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

My guess is you are misjudging your ground time. I took a quick look at one day, and the 3 SW flights from DTW -> MCO all had the standard 25 minute ground time. On those, you aren't allowed to leave.

If you want to know for sure, let us know the day and flight number and we can tell you the exact time of the stop.

 

[ACJT]

My guess is you are misjudging your ground time. I took a quick look at one day, and the 3 SW flights from DTW -> MCO all had the standard 25 minute ground time. On those, you aren't allowed to leave.

If you want to know for sure, let us know the day and flight number and we can tell you the exact time of the stop.

Nov 12

Flight # 3107

 

[kaytieeldr]

It looks as if you're comparing your flight's total time against other airlines' (i.e. Northwest's) non-stop time - 2:35 vs 4:05. There's an hour and twenty minute difference between the two.

However, as indicated above, your flight has an additional landing and take-off. Those each take time, plus of course Southwest needs time for passengers debarking at your mid-point airport to disembark and so their staff can do the headcount of remaining passengers and straighten up the plane and permit the continuing passengers to change seats and get comfortable, and then to board the waiting passengers and prepare for departure.

You won't have nearly as much time on the ground as you think.

 

[ironz]

Just for grins, I looked it up.
You'll stop in Nashville (BNA) on the way to MCO.
You land there at 7:55 and take off at 8:30, so don't expect to get off the plane.

The good news is that if you don't like your seat for the first segment, you can swap after they do the head count of through passengers.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh, boy. Can you PLEASE tell me how you found that???? I think I spent forty-five minutes trying to figure out where and when flight 3107 stops (before I gave up and started checking my own flight information ). Thanks!

 

[ironz]

I just looked at the schedule page and started plugging in DTW-xxx with xxx being cities that were more or less between DTW and MCO. Took me about 6 tries to get it.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Yes, if the stop is long enough, you can get off the plane and no, you don't need an additional boarding pass to do so.

 

[Bambi222]

I have experienced both situations and it really all depends on a few things.


Once, since there was only 9 of us left on the plane and I don't think too many new passengers were going to board so they let us off the plane and told us when to get back on.

The next time we had about the same time at the airport, however, the New Passengers they were to board was to fill up the plane, so I think that had something to do with not letting us off.

But we were allowed to move around the plane and go to new seats prior to the new passengers, which was nice.

 

[Lewisc]

Oh, boy. Can you PLEASE tell me how you found that???? I think I spent forty-five minutes trying to figure out where and when flight 3107 stops (before I gave up and started checking my own flight information ). Thanks!

Doesn't work in this case but in general you can go to travel tools, flight status information. Put in the departure airport and flight number. It will show the first stop.