# Does Daylight Savings change your flight departure time?



## Cathyb (Mar 9, 2011)

Next Sunday, March 13, we in California lose an hour.  If my flight presently says LAX flight leaves at 9AM -- will that change to 8AM?


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## DeniseM (Mar 9, 2011)

The computer system will have automatically adjusted your flight time to allow for the time change, when it was assigned.


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## Cathyb (Mar 9, 2011)

*Denise, question*



DeniseM said:


> The computer system will have automatically adjusted your flight time to allow for the time change, when it was assigned.



Not sure I understand. So will the time we leave LAX change an hour; i.e., will 9AM become 8AM?  Also we are on two British Air flights at the end of March.  They go on DST later than we do (late March).  Should we arrive an hour earlier than planned?  Yipes, why did this have to happen in the middle of our planned trip.


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## Passepartout (Mar 9, 2011)

In other words, set your clocks an hour ahead before you go to bed Sat. night, March 12. Your flight will depart at 9 a.m. PDT, not 9 a.m. PST. You will lose an hour of sleep that you get back next November.... Jim


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## DeniseM (Mar 9, 2011)

Cathy - you will reset your clocks before you go to bed, as usual, and the next morning, the time listed on your tickets will be the correct time of your flight.  Computer systems are set up to automatically change when the time changes.


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## LisaRex (Mar 9, 2011)

Cathy, 

There is actually a very specific time where Daylight Savings Time begins and ends. In the United States, we have chosen 2am.  At exactly 2am on March 13th, everyone is directed to move their clock ahead one hour to 3am. Folks in your area (including airlines) will then switch from PST (Pacific Standard Time) to PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).  If you want to be official, you can  wait around til 2am, but most people just move their clocks forward when they go to bed Saturday night.  (And, if not then, when they get to church an hour late on Sunday.) 

On 3/13/11, the hour of 2:00-2:59am disappears.  The time jumps from 1:59am PST to 3:00am PDT.   They'd never indicate that a plane will land (or depart) at 2:15am because that hour doesn't exist in either time zone.  Instead, they'd call it by its new designation of 3:15am PDT.  

(But don't you fret, because on 11/6 (the day that Daylight Savings Time ends), that missing hour will be restored because the hour of 1:00-1:59am will repeat itself -- once as PDT, then once again as PST.  And balance will be restored to the universe!)  If you have a plane that departs at 1:15am, you'd have to clarify which time zone they are using. 

Of course, if this is all just too confusing, just look at DeniseM's answer!   

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/clockchange.html?n=137


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## John Cummings (Mar 9, 2011)

LisaRex said:


> Cathy,
> 
> There is actually a very specific time where Daylight Savings Time begins and ends. In the United States, we have chosen 2am.  At exactly 2am on March 17th, everyone is directed to move their clock ahead one hour to 3am. Folks in your area (including airlines) will then switch from PST (Pacific Standard Time) to PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).  If you want to be official, you can  wait around til 2am, but most people just move their clocks forward when they go to bed Saturday night.  (And, if not then, when they get to church an hour late on Sunday.)
> 
> ...



DST starts at 2:00 am Sunday, 03/13/2011, not 03/17/2011.


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## Luanne (Mar 9, 2011)

John Cummings said:


> DST starts at 2:00 am Sunday, 01/13/2011, not 01/17/2011.



Actually it starts at 2:00 a.m. Sunday *03*/13/2011.


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## John Cummings (Mar 9, 2011)

Luanne said:


> Actually it starts at 2:00 a.m. Sunday *03*/13/2011.



You are right. I just corrected it.


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## Ridewithme38 (Mar 9, 2011)

LisaRex said:


> Cathy,
> 
> There is actually a very specific time where Daylight Savings Time begins and ends. In the United States, we have chosen 2am.  At exactly 2am on March 17th, everyone is directed to move their clock ahead one hour to 3am. Folks in your area (including airlines) will then switch from PST (Pacific Standard Time) to PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).  If you want to be official, you can  wait around til 2am, but most people just move their clocks forward when they go to bed Saturday night.  (And, if not then, when they get to church an hour late on Sunday.)
> 
> ...



This is about the clearest explanation I've ever head of Daylight Savings time!  Thank you!


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## LisaRex (Mar 9, 2011)

John Cummings said:


> DST starts at 2:00 am Sunday, 03/13/2011, not 03/17/2011.



Thanks, John.  I changed it so that what is already confusing isn't even more confusing.


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## Talent312 (Mar 9, 2011)

I would have told the OP simply that the time that's listed for departure is the local time for the day of the flight, and thus will not change (absent some delay). 

But its not a bad idea to show up early, to find a good lounge seat near the gate.


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## Luanne (Mar 9, 2011)

I have found flight times to and from Hawaii have changed due to Daylight Savings, but that is because Hawaii doesn't change times.


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