Boarding Soon: Systems That Keep You Waiting
Engr. Elaine Macatangay Morales, MPA | 13 August 2025
Flying for the past years, with segments on two of the Philippines’ major carriers, I noticed a pattern: gate announcements often drop close to boarding time, flights sometimes run late, and travel becomes a test of patience. Even for frequent flyers like myself, the uncertainty feels systemic—not just a scheduling quirk, but a feature of service models designed around tight margins and high utilization.
Affordable Air Travel as a Systems Balancing Act
Both airlines share a goal: make flying accessible. One promotes “every Juan can fly” through flash-fare promos, and the other balances legacy routes with modernization programs. These aspirations are genuine, but they operate within complex systems where operational demands can sometimes compromise passenger experience.
Yet these efforts are tempered by recurring system dysfunctions. One airline’s flash sale system glitches triggered Senate inquiries and over 3,000 traveler complaints in 2023—pinpointing issues like ticketing errors and delayed or canceled flights.
Flight Delays: A Recurring Theme
On-time performance is far from ideal. In a recent period, one low-cost carrier achieved just 60% punctuality, while its full-service counterpart fared slightly better at 66%, as quoted by a Tripadvisor contributor. FlightStats data shows an example flight on the full-service line had only a 67% on-time rate, with average delays near 38 minutes. These numbers reflect a system where delays are the norm, not anomalies.
Systemic Disruptions: Maintenance, Weather, and More
Beyond schedule slippage, broader disruptions strike when systems falter. In early 2023, a power failure at the Air Traffic Management Center grounded virtually all commercial flights across the country, affecting over 56,000 passengers. These were not airline failures per se, but they exposed the dependence of service on infrastructure that, when fragile, reverberates through every terminal and gate.
Hidden Systems Logic at Play
Late gate announcements and sudden changes often reflect real-world operational flexibility. Airlines face fluctuating aircraft availability, tight turnaround schedules, weather challenges, and even global supply-chain delays in aircraft parts. The system is tuned to optimize efficiency, but often at the expense of clarity for passengers waiting at the terminal.
ISO 9001: Control, Communication, Consistency
From a Quality auditor’s lens, the ISO 9001’s clause on “Control of Production and Service Provision” is a useful reference. It calls for systems that deliver service consistently, with clear communication and safeguards when disruptions occur. Automated alerts, buffer times, and clear escalation paths are not luxuries, they’re hallmarks of a system designed with user trust in mind.
What Human-Centered Service Could Look Like
To their credit, both carriers already make efforts to communicate by sending emails and text messages as early as one to two days before a flight when there are schedule adjustments, and issuing real-time notifications for changes in departure gates. In cases of extended delays, meals are provided as part of their service recovery. One full-service carrier also offers a customer lounge with comfortable seating, shower room, phone charging and work stations, free food and drinks, and a quieter waiting area—a service I personally value for its comfort and convenience. However, this benefit is limited to elite members, leaving most passengers to navigate the same crowded gate areas where last-minute changes are felt more sharply.
Rebooking processes are already generally clear and transparent, with corresponding fees depending on the ticket category—whether saver, economy, or higher classes. The key opportunity lies in ensuring these processes remain smooth even during peak demand, such as after flash promotions or in the midst of widespread disruptions, so that passengers can make changes without unnecessary stress or confusion. On the infrastructure side, airports are equipped with backup power systems and contingency measures, but their effectiveness depends on regular testing and maintenance. Ensuring these systems are ready to perform in real emergencies, such as unexpected airspace shutdowns, can make the difference between a controlled recovery and a complete service standstill.
Gate assignments and boarding changes could also be communicated earlier when operationally possible, reducing last-minute uncertainty at crowded terminals. Building in reasonable slack time into flight schedules could help absorb minor disruptions before they snowball into longer delays. These refinements, while operational in nature, can reinforce passenger trust and make the travel experience more predictable and less stressful, without undermining cost-efficiency.
Why This Matters, Far Beyond Air Travel
If we come to accept delays, last-minute gate changes, or promo errors as “just part of flying,” we risk lowering our expectations for other public services. Imagine an HMO portal that suddenly logs you out, or an appointment or travel booking system that gives no indication of delays—would we tolerate them as casually as we do delayed flights?
Systems matter because they mirror our values: respect for time, clarity in communication, and accountability. Whether at the airport, a government office, or a hospital, thoughtful design that centers on user trust, not just cost, makes all the difference. The habits we normalize in one system can quietly shape what we expect from every other system we use.