ayecarumba

TINS...years ago FLT OPS put out an article about how an ER CA flying out of Cairo delayed a "payload optimized" flight to put non-revs on. He had been approached by non-revs who were stranded for days and found he had a 1000# tolerance (more on this later) on his WDR. He asked dispatch and load planning to nix the tolerance so he could put a few non-revs on (you know, "family" members in mgt parlance). As the OCC was scratching their heads with what to do, the CA put a few non-revs on his empty airplane and departed.

I wouldn't have minded the article if somewhere in there MGT/FLTOPS had said "We know the CA was trying to do the right thing and take care of our people..." Instead, it was a one-way diatribe about the CA had cost the company money and there were misconnects for other passengers since the CA "assembled the team" and tried to get the OCC to help, incurring a delay.

This sounds eerily similar to the above and would not surprise me one bit.

PS: the OCC/Load Planning got rid of the standard 1000# tolerance as a result of this incident in case you were ever wondering where it went.

DALMD88FO

As much as I would like to agree with you with your version of the story, it was an FO the nonrevs were his family members and it had to do with fuel density and a runway not available for takeoff and yes the flight was delayed a considerable amount of time and I believe cargo was downloaded to get them on since he was not going to leave his family in that country without him. I would have done the same thing, however we ended up getting numerous memo's on having backup plans for family members if they go on trips with you.

ImissXJ

I've been asked to sit in back with a wide open flight three times now in the last two months. Two from MSP-LGA and once coming back. All MD90's. So I know it's happening.

sailingfun

Was it for CG reasons?

badflaps

Tell me how you can have a C/G problem on a 717.

sailingfun

He said it was a MD90. Quite easy on that aircraft.

badflaps

Point being they are doing the same thing on the 717, which sorta blows the C/G thing.

ImissXJ

That's what the gate agent said. One offered that after we reached cruise we could switch seats...

gloopy

Before the first step climb or after?

ImissXJ

She said it depended on density altitude and the climb rate required by the SID... jk