Doesn't it seem like Oceanic would have dispatched a plane for them and flown them back first class instead of in the back of a cargo plane?

Is that what airlines typically do in these situations?

I thought it perfectly sensible for the Coast Guard to be involved. Am I totally off the mark here?

It's quite possible that the place they were picked up at did not have a large enough airstrip to land one of Oceanic's larger planes on. And they opted for a non stop on a Coast Guard cargo plane so they would get home sooner. I would have!

i personally would not fly on another oceanic airplane again. evar.

i personally would not fly on another oceanic airplane again. evar.

Unless you are like Jack and want to get back to the island.

I don't think it is very likely that a US coast guard plane was anywhere near Membata- it isn't off of our coast- but they do have plenty to use for filming in Hawaii...... Also unlikely that Memebata has an airport- but didn't they say they spent a few weeks or days somewhere in between at an airbase?

They went to a larger island using a raft. I'm assuming they wanted to go for a more empty cargo plane sort of feel and that plane is what they had available.

Cargo planes can land and take off on runways far shorter than those needed by commercial airliners. It's unlikely the island had a runway that would handle a regular airliner.

I don't think it is very likely that a US coast guard plane was anywhere near Membata- it isn't off of our coast- but they do have plenty to use for filming in Hawaii...... Also unlikely that Memebata has an airport- but didn't they say they spent a few weeks or days somewhere in between at an airbase?

They were picked up by the Coast Guard from Sumba, which does have an airport. They are claiming to have gotten off Membata on a raft that washed up.

Rescuing civilians is part of the mission of the Coast Guard, so it doesn't seem unlikely to me that they would dispatch a Coast Guard plane from Hawaii. They would need a plane that size to make the trip. There are certainly Air Force bases closer than Hawaii, but since they're taking them back to the US anyway, it makes more sense to send a plane based there, considering that picking them up from Sumba wasn't a time-critical situation.

Cargo planes can land and take off on runways far shorter than those needed by commercial airliners. It's unlikely the island had a runway that would handle a regular airliner.

This is a Lockheed HC-130. It can land in a shorter runway than commercial liners.

If you go by what the old Oceanic Air website said (the one that came out just after season 1 ended), they stopped all flights at the time of 815's disappearance. It's possible all of their planes were grounded. Still, it makes more sense to me that the Coast Guard would be involved.

Doesn't it seem like Oceanic would have dispatched a plane for them and flown them back first class instead of in the back of a cargo plane?

What?!
for real?!
I'm 100% serious when I ask, "are you serious"?!

Since protocol seems to be the key word in the last few episodes.
I will simply offer my :twocents: :
I don't think standard protocol is sending a 757 (or whatever it is)
to a remote island to pick up some survivors of one of there crashes.

If i was in a car accident with my Dodge Stratus, I would sure hope
another Dodge Stratus doesn't whisk me to the hospital. Instead
an ambulance equipped for such an operation would take me.