Fewer delays are reported by the Airlines
On time flight arrivals are actually improving according to a recently released government issued report.
According to the Department of Transportation, which tracks such things as flight delays, the average on-time effeciency for 19 major U.S. carriers in May was 79 percent. This, as compared to 77.9% in May of last year, and 77.7% for April 2008 is a marked improvement in an industry struggling to stay afloat as consumers demand cheap airline tickets and greater accountability.
As more and more consumers purchase last minute vacation packages, it has become imperative for the airline industry to have better tracking of not only their seat availability, but also to lower their flight delays in order to remain profitable.
Weather was the main culprit for late flights in May, as it was accountable for over 44% of all flight delays. This compares to a year earlier when only 39% of flights were late due to weather.
The best airline in terms of on time performance in May was Hawaiian Airlines. Their flights were 88.9% on time. Travelers booking a last minute vacation to Hawaii were cited as pleased with the lack of delays.
Pinnacle Airlines was the second best carrier at 85.9% on time, with AirTran Airways coming in third at 84.7%. Consumers having purchased cheap airline tickets to use in combination with car rental coupons in order to save money in this weak economy found they were able to reach their destinations quicker and with fewer delays with these three carriers.
The worst carrier overall was American Airlines with a 67.3% on time rate. United Airlines and Continental Airlines, who rated 72.4 and 75.4 percent, respectively followed them.
While a traveler may get the best legroom and cruise vacation instead of flying from Detroit to Anchorage, Alaska on Northwest Airlines. This flight was delayed 94.1% of the time.
