Flying on Friday - Guidelines

[itsyehuda]

What are your guidelines for flying on a Friday?

From where to where would you or wouldn't you?

How many hours before Shabbos does the scheduled arrival need to be for you to consider it?

Does the origin or destination airport make a difference?

[Dan]

Depends on lots of variables.

[sky121]

What are your guidelines for flying on a Friday?

From where to where would you or wouldn't you?

How many hours before Shabbos does the scheduled arrival need to be for you to consider it?

Does the origin or destination airport make a difference?

Since you asked...

      In general I am not a believer of flying on Fridays.  My grandfather drilled that into my head since I was young.  I have done it once on an early Friday morning flight in the summer. It was a direct flight. But I really try to stick to avoiding it altogether and not putting myself in sticky/risky situations.
You may say some early short flights into smaller airports are hardly a risk and I'd hear that but in the end of the day when you're flying you never what could happen.



Obviously if you're going to fly on Friday I recommend it be as early as possible, on a direct flight.

And if you're going to go ahead and fly a risky flight take provisions with you or know you may get stuck.


 I can't remember who but someone on the forums had a story of getting stuck in the airport on Shabbos... quite a read.

[rots5]

What are your guidelines for flying on a Friday?

From where to where would you or wouldn't you?

How many hours before Shabbos does the scheduled arrival need to be for you to consider it?

Does the origin or destination airport make a difference?

ask mmerms (link pls)

[itsyehuda]

ask mmerms (link pls)

Hah, I read his story. But that notwithstanding, I'm sure people here still fly on Fridays sometimes!

[itsyehuda]

Depends on lots of variables.

I figured that, I tried to throw a bunch of them into the original question.  Do you have any rules of thumb that you like to go by?

[rots5]

I figured that, I tried to throw a bunch of them into the original question.  Do you have any rules of thumb that you like to go by?

ask your LOR, my rav has said mroe than once he holds your a poshea to leave to the mountains from monsey past 1 ish on fri in the summer

[Dan]

I figured that, I tried to throw a bunch of them into the original question.  Do you have any rules of thumb that you like to go by?

I flew CLE-MCI though on a Friday afternoon in January (heck I didn't even ticket it until that afternoon) and didn't worry about it in the slightest.

I flew CLE-IAH-HNL arriving a few hours before shabbos as well.

In general though I try not to, but that's just not always feasible.

I never would do that for CLE-LGA though.  Anything into/out of NYC you have to account for possible heavy delays on the tarmac.

[henche]

I did a BOS-ORD once on a flight that landed about an hour before shabbos in the winter.

[U-no-me!]

 

Just a bit interesting no one even quoted the halachos quoted in the Shulchan Aruch etc;

[Dan]

I did a BOS-ORD once on a flight that landed about an hour before shabbos in the winter.

I would never risk that with ORD or any airports prone to ground holds due to volume+weather.
Namely: EWR, JFK, LGA, ORD, and PHL.  Plus perhaps BOS, DCA, and IAD due to Eastern Seaboard congestion.

The risk analysis for CLE-MCI is simple.  I can always not board in case of a delay and I would still have time to deboard in case of a ground hold (even though there practically are never ground holds for CLE-MCI).

[henche]

I would never risk that with ORD or any airports prone to ground holds due to volume+weather.
Namely: EWR, JFK, LGA, ORD, and PHL.  Plus perhaps BOS, DCA, and IAD due to Eastern Seaboard congestion.

The risk analysis for CLE-MCI is simple.  I can always not board in case of a delay and I would still have time to deboard in case of a ground hold (even though there practically are never ground holds for CLE-MCI).

I realized I was being a bit reckless, but I really wanted to be in ORD for shabbos and it was the only option under consideration.
I figured I would not board if there was any delay. And I didn't mind having to walk from the airport to my neighborhood.

If a plane lands on shabbos, is there a tchum issue? Do we pasken יש תחום למעלה מעשרה? 

[itsyehuda]

I would never risk that with ORD or any airports prone to ground holds due to volume+weather.
Namely: EWR, JFK, LGA, ORD, and PHL.  Plus perhaps BOS, DCA, and IAD due to Eastern Seaboard congestion.

The risk analysis for CLE-MCI is simple.  I can always not board in case of a delay and I would still have time to deboard in case of a ground hold (even though there practically are never ground holds for CLE-MCI).

What about NYC area airports in the summer? Is that any better?
And what about transatlantic flights? Is that stupid to consider?

[sky121]

What about NYC area airports in the summer? Is that any better?
And what about transatlantic flights? Is that stupid to consider?

I'd say yes.

[Chaikel]

If a plane lands on shabbos, is there a tchum issue? Do we pasken יש תחום למעלה מעשרה? 

I believe we do, but I think we pasken that you can't be koneh shvisa while moving, so you are koneh once the plane come to a stop, and then you will have the techum of the airport, as most airports don't have residential structures within 70 amos.

Now if you are a poshea, you either get 4 amos, or the building (don't remember the conditions)

ETA: I think you have 4 amos, but if you are forced out of the 4 amos (just waiting until someone tells you you have to deboard now may be enough) then you get the building. If you voluntarily deboard then you continue to only have 4 amos no matter where you go

[EliteMavin]

What are your guidelines for flying on a Friday?

From where to where would you or wouldn't you?

How many hours before Shabbos does the scheduled arrival need to be for you to consider it?

Does the origin or destination airport make a difference?

One rabbi once told me that as long as you land before midday it is surely not a problem... (that was regarding a flight from Warsaw with a stopover in Ams, and landing in EWR on Friday.)
But of course you would need to ask your LOR