I can understand Nintendo wanting to put the charm of seeing someones island before you arrive there and their characters waving at you while you are in the airplane but it makes the process longer and it is really not needed..
In previous games it took under 15 seconds for someone to arrive into your town but in this game sometimes it can take up to a minute or longer.
In previous games it took under 15 seconds for someone to arrive into your town but in this game sometimes it can take up to a minute or longer.