It is frustrating to sit at a gate watching a perfectly sunny sky while your flight is delayed by three hours, and the departure board's explanation, late arrival of the incoming aircraft, feels like an excuse. Usually it is the truth, and it is only the first domino. Airlines schedule aircraft to fly five or six legs a day, and crews to work tightly timed shifts, so one disruption in the morning can still be causing delays at midnight.

Understanding the knock-on effect will not make your flight leave on time, but it will help you predict, plan for, and sometimes avoid the worst of it.