Steve Robinson

Airlines On-Time Performance

Although cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages are often key ingredients of an affordable trip, flight delays can be very frustrating.

Over 20 percent of all flights in the U.S. depart late (defined as more than 15 minutes past the scheduled departure time) and have been doing so for years.  Smart would-be passengers should always arrive at airports armed with fully charged and programmed mobile devices, snacks and plenty of patience.

Not all airlines have the same on-time performance records.  Flights between July of 2010 and June of 2011 arrived on time an average just under 80 percent.  While nothing to celebrate about, it was an improvement from 2009 when only a little more than 76 percent of flights arrived on time.

Hawaiian Airlines has been the top ranked on-time airline over the last three years and continues to improve its performance, setting new on-time records.  Just under 93 percent of its flights arrived on time in the most recent report.

JetBlue’s on-time ranking plummeted to 18.  AirTran Airways significantly improved its on-time performance landing in the top five.  United Airlines remained highly ranked with is remarkable for an airline of its size.

Reasons for delays include bad weather, delayed connecting flights, air traffic control problems, and maintenance issues with planes.

Savvy travelers act proactively to arrive at their final destinations when connecting by giving themselves an extra hour or two between connecting flights.  Selecting flights with better on-time records, as well as airports and airlines that experience fewer delays are additional ways to improve your odds of arriving on time.

Article Tags: On-time Performance

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