If you’re not prepared to miss a flight due to booking a short connection, you shouldn’t book that flight. You should book a flight with a later departure time. The reason for the warning is because there’s no promise that things that are out of everyone’s control will happen.

Weather being one. There will be snow, and there will be storms. Deiicing is necessary and ground stops are necessary in order to ensure that flying is safe. There will also be maintenance issues. Yes, each airline should plan to make sure there’s a replacement plane or alternative ready, but things that are built do break down.

If you’re flight boards on time, there’s no reason to rush. Your flight attendant can not call ahead to the next airplane during the boarding process, in the air or while deplaning on behalf of each passenger to hold up that plane’s departure to your final destination. It’s not possible.

The best way to ensure that you will make your connecting flight to your final destination is to book flights with enough time in between to account for things that may happen like weather and maintenance delays, deicing, congested taxi ways, retrieving valet bags from the jet bridge on smaller aircraft, and your own personal issues that may arise in between gates.

Preparing to fly is a lot like preparing to leave for work in the morning. We have to account for things that may happen, so that we don’t feel rushed or aggressive towards others when there’s a chance we may be late.