When I was cabin crew at a Big Airline; I was called from home stand by to cover a crew member who was removed from a fully loaded B737.
Despite arriving at the aircraft well within the allocated time, I was only able to wave the flight crew farewell from the terminal window as they pushed back. The skipper simply waved back.
I later learn't from the harassed crew that the skipper did not wish to return home late and was not prepared to wait any longer. He stuck to his guns despite me being only 30 foot or so from boarding.
How matters appear to have changed, returning from the threshold for regular passengers when once, a skipper would'nt even wait for his own crew.