More Flights Cancelled, But Customer Complaints Decrease

The nation's largest airlines' rate of on-time flights this past February was lower than in January, but higher than in the same month last year, while February flights were cancelled at a higher rate than in January 2008 but at a lower rate than in February 2007, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released today by the US Department of Transportation (DOT). 

According to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the 20 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 68.6 percent in February, up from February 2007's 67.3 percent but below January 2008's 72.4 percent.  

The monthly report also includes data on the causes of flight delays, as well as information on reports of mishandled baggage filed with the carriers, and consumer service, disability and discrimination complaints received by DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division. This report also includes reports required to be filed by US carriers of incidents involving pets traveling by air. 

Causes of Flight Delays 

In February, the carriers filing on-time performance data reported that 9.36 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, compared to 8.42 percent in January; 9.74 percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared to 8.41 percent in January; 7.11 percent by factors within the airline's control, such as maintenance or crew problems, compared to 6.79 percent in January; 1.19 percent by extreme weather, compared to 0.88 percent in January; and 0.05 percent for security reasons, compared to 0.07 percent in January.  Weather is a factor in both the extreme-weather category and the aviation-system category. This includes delays due to the re-routing of flights by DOT's Federal Aviation Administration in consultation with the carriers involved. Weather is also a factor in delays attributed to late-arriving aircraft, although airlines do not report specific causes in that category. 

Data collected by BTS also show the percentage of late flights delayed by weather, including those reported in either the category of extreme weather or included in National Aviation System delays. In February, 46.92 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, up 22.83 percent from February 2007, when 38.20 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, and up 7.71 percent from January when 43.56 percent of late flights were delayed by weather.

Mishandled Baggage

The US carriers reporting flight delays and mishandled baggage data posted a mishandled baggage rate of 6.39 reports per 1,000 passengers in February, an improvement over both February 2007's rate of 8.23 and January 2008's 7.37 rate.

Incidents Involving Pets 

In February, carriers reported one incident involving pets while traveling by air, down from four incidents in January. The February incident involved an injured pet.

Complaints About Airline Service

In February, the department received 936 complaints about airline service from consumers, up 13.3 percent from the 826 complaints filed in February 2007 but down 20.3 percent from the total of 1,174 received in January 2008.

Ontime Figures

Lamentably, the airline with the highest on-time arrival rate in February -- Aloha Airlines, with 95.6 percent -- shut down all operations March 31. Hawaiian Airlines followed in second place, with 93.1 percent of its flights arriving ontime, with Delta a distant third at 77.2 percent.

Regional carriers continued to dominate in lowest number all-time arrivals, with American Eagle and Comair each reporting just around 61 percent of their flights completed ontime. American Airlines grabbed the third spot, with a dismal 61.7 of its flights arriving within 15 minutes of scheduled times in February.

American also laid dubious claim to the second-most-often delayed flight, 1763 from O'Hare to Orange County, CA -- which was late 96 percent of the time. JetBlue's Flight 515 from Newark to FLL claimed "top" honors in the category, arriving late 100 percent of the time.

Regional operator Mesa Airlines cancelled the most flights in February, a full 10.6 percent of its schedule, followed by American Eagle and Comair.

FMI: http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov, www.bts.gov