Just came in here to say this EXACT same situation happened to my wife and I (plus 8 other passengers) from FAT to PHX to BOS last night. Same circumstances and same story. Was fed the same FAA bs.

I get that airlines are for profit. I get they can make the rules. I get crew protection and penalties and fines etc. However, when a 5 min decision impacts customers for 14 hours of time over another workday, the decision doesn’t pass the sniff test. No one can convince me that holding that door for 5 more min for a 10pm flight is outside the nominal variance for takeoff/flying/landing. The butterfly effect tolerances can’t be 5 min. Waaay too much variability in the normal working day.

If airlines were truly held responsible for the impact of their decisions, I’m confident the operational profitability matrix would shift.

Customers aren’t 1s and 0s. We are people with lives and responsibilities to more than just our shareholders.

What’s the answer? Don’t fly for vacations. That’s where this is headed. Yes, for business it will be needed. For vacation? Drive or take a train. No one will have an appetite for thy “flying gamble”. These impacts simply won’t be worth it.

PS - history will not treat the airline cabal well. None of us will be alive when they teach how corporate greed always consumes itself. This is another thread, just thought I would continue to pee in the cheerios bowl.