Let the Planes Depart On Time

United Airlines may hold more flights for connecting passengers as long as its computer system calculates that a short departure delay won't lead to more dissatisfied customers later in the day, Bloomberg reported. It makes sense. Sometimes airlines rush for on-time departures, closing the door on late-arriving customers, even when an early arrival is expected. United recently tested the feature in Denver, and found that by delaying some departures by an average of four minutes, it could save a significant number of connections without jeopardizing arrival performance, Chief Digital Officer Linda Jojo said. I don't like it. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I like on-time departures. I've gone through the hassle of getting to the airport, going through security, waiting in the boarding line, and stowing my bag. At departure time, I want to push back, not wait for a few stragglers. Not even for three minutes.  Sometimes, you arrive early. I feel that's part of an unspoken contr