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I wonder whether there is any difference between a last call and a final call, in the context of boarding airplanes. E.g., does one of the term indicate a higher level of urgency?

Franck Dernoncourt
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    If the announcement is made manually by a staff in an airport that has automated announcements, it is made because the staff can see in their system that some of the checked-in passengers did not show-up at the gate on time, so they use whatever word (final or last) to urge the late passengers to show-up. It really has no difference, it is just their choice.. – Nean Der Thal Aug 21 '21 at 22:10
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    It means you are late and no, you don’t have time to stop at the duty free shop :-p – jcaron Aug 21 '21 at 22:25
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    Neither word is technical jargon, AFAIK; they are just used with their ordinary English meanings, which are the same. I sometimes hear "last and final call" which is simply redundant, or maybe used for added emphasis. – Nate Eldredge Aug 21 '21 at 23:30

3 Answers3

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No. There's no official glossary of terms used for this purpose. Both "last call" and "final call" are simply ways of saying "we will soon leave without you unless you board."

I should add there's also no particular time frame defined universally for what "soon" means in that context. You can check your airline's policy around when doors close for more information.

Zach Lipton
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    FWIW, in Singapore Changi, "Final Call" is the 2nd last warning up to an hour before departure, and "Gate Closing" is the message flashed up half an hour or so before. (Gates actually close 15 min before departure. – lambshaanxy Aug 22 '21 at 02:58
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    Yes it could be anything from "monitors around the airport say 'final call' for 45 minutes before the gate actually closes" to "the gate agent says 'final call' over the PA system 30 seconds before shutting the door." – Zach Lipton Aug 22 '21 at 03:03
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    On more than one occasion, I heard "final call" several times for the same flight, at five to ten minute intervals. – WGroleau Aug 22 '21 at 03:21
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    They can't just leave without you! They need to first unload your luggage, if any , that was checked in. causing further delays. – dezkev Aug 22 '21 at 06:00
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    @dezkev: Apparently on some (US) domestic flights they might just take off with your luggage on board. At least unless things have changed since that answer was written. Anyway, that does raise an interesting follow-up question: assuming they do implement PPBM, at what point after last/final call does the airline start unloading your luggage (and what happens to it if you show up after that point)? – Ilmari Karonen Aug 22 '21 at 10:19
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    @IlmariKaronen what happens is that at some point (detailed in the terms and conditions) they don't have a legal obligation to allow you on board anymore. So what actually happens depends on their mood and the exact circumstances at that point. For example, if the bridge is already removed and your luggage unloaded and the cargo bay closed or almost closed, you're likely to be left behind, because they have a take-off slot to make. If the take-off is delayed anyway and the next slot is in 15 minutes, and the bridge is still in place, you're more likely to be let on, etc. – Tom Aug 22 '21 at 13:17
  • @lambshaanxy An hour before departure? Is the flight even boarding by then? – Azor Ahai -him- Aug 22 '21 at 17:06
  • @dezkev do the planes really remove luggage from people who haven't checked in? I would think it's cheaper for the airline to just go ahead and fly to the destination, then just post the suitcase back to the owner/departing airport. (Or put it on a plane that's then going to the departure airport) – BruceWayne Aug 22 '21 at 21:30
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    @BruceWayne It's required for security reasons for some flights: Positive Passenger Bag Matching. – Zach Lipton Aug 22 '21 at 22:02
  • @ZachLipton ohh haha, duh. Forgot about security purposes. Thanks! – BruceWayne Aug 22 '21 at 23:13
  • @AzorAhai Nope! But in Changi's defence, security is at the gate instead of being centralized, so they want people there a little earlier than usual. – lambshaanxy Aug 23 '21 at 05:05
  • @lambshaanxy Ah, I see. – Azor Ahai -him- Aug 23 '21 at 14:36
  • Thanks the time frame was indeed the follow-up question I had in mind: How long before boarding gates close are last calls first announced? – Franck Dernoncourt Aug 25 '21 at 21:39
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The approach of this answer is based on my recollection that you are a French speaker.

French Wiktionary defines English final thus:

  1. Dernier.
  2. Définitif.
  3. Final.

Its definition for English last is

  1. Dernier. À la fin.

(Senses 2 and 3 do not apply here.)

English Wiktionary defines last, in the relevant sense, as "final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind," and gives the French translation as dernier. For final, it gives the definition "last; ultimate," and the French translation dernier; ultime.

The words are synonymous.

Besides, in the US, you're more likely than anything else to hear the redundant "this is the last and final boarding call for...."

phoog
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  • Thanks! Speaking of French, I remember hearing at some airport "tout dernier appel" to mean that was truly the last call. (Which was then lossily translated with "last call" in the subsequent English announcement). – Franck Dernoncourt Aug 22 '21 at 17:43
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    @FranckDernoncourt most natural-language translation is lossy. Perhaps "very last" would be the best combination of accuracy and idiom in any other context, but "last and final" would probably have to win in this context, at least for a descriptivist. – phoog Aug 22 '21 at 17:49
  • @phoog So rather than a travel question, this is really a question for English Language & Usage :P – Peter M Aug 22 '21 at 19:14
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    @PeterM it's both, don't you think? – phoog Aug 22 '21 at 19:23
  • Personally I think in this particular case it's turned out to be more language question than a travel question. – Peter M Aug 22 '21 at 20:02
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The last call is the last opportunity for passengers to board the aircraft(like 5–10 minutes left for passengers to board) The final numbers have been sending to compute the final departure figures (weights, passenger count, etc.) for the flight & the final call is also to tell the passenger to take off is going & you have to come to the seat before onboarding.

Brackwom
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