A new report reveals which airlines are recording the highest number of flight delays and cancellations.
Studying 2023 data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, NerdWallet calculated the on-time arrival rates of 10 North American airlines.
The analysis comes as the Federal Department of Transportation announces that airlines must instantly refund passengers in cash for delayed and canceled flights.
In last place is Frontier Airlines, which has only 67% on-time performance. The airline had 30.71% of its flights delayed and 2.13% canceled.
Just above is JetBlue, ranked by the Wall Street Journal as the worst airline in the country last year due to delays and signaling issues at airports. JetBlue also had only 67% on-time performance, with 30.4% delays and 2.1% cancellations.
Spirit Airlines came in seventh place, with an on-time percentage of 69.51%, 28.59% delays, and 1.7% cancellations.
Hawaiian Airlines ranked sixth, with 75.2% of its flights arriving on time, 23.41% delayed, and 1.3% canceled.
Next is American Airlines with an on-time rate of 75.94%. Still, 22.74% of its flights were delayed and 1.06% were canceled.
Southwest Airlines moved up to fourth place with 77.25% of flights on time. The airline had 21.55% of flights delayed and up to 1% canceled.
United Airlines, which has faced a series of incidents in recent weeks, boasts the bronze medal with 78.07% on-time performance, with 20.27% delays and 1.4% cancellations.
In second place is Alaska Airlines, with 79.48% on-time performance. It had 19.42% of flights delayed and only 0.81% canceled.
Delta Air Lines took first place with 82.61% of flights on time, 16.17% delays, and 1.02% of flights canceled.
When it comes to trying to avoid delays and cancellations, NerdWallet advises travelers to book the first flight of the day because the plane is already at the airport. Delayed flights from other destinations were responsible for 7.38% of delays last year.
Avoiding connecting flights, which can also be delayed, is another tactic—book direct flights when possible. And selecting an airline that flies your route multiple times a day is a way to mitigate the damage caused by canceled flights, as you will likely be able to fly on the same day, recommends NerdWallet.
Source: The New York Post