Fewer Flight Delays, Cancellations Recorded In November
The nation’s largest air carriers recorded fewer flight
delays and cancellations in November 2002 than in November 2001 or
October 2002, according to the monthly Air Travel Consumer Report
just issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation
(DoT).
Flight Delays
According to information filed with the department’s
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the 10 largest U.S.
carriers currently required to report on-time performance posted an
85.2 percent on-time arrival record in November, better than both
November 2001’s 84.7 percent mark and October 2002’s
84.2.
On-time doesn't necessarily mean on-budget.
US Airways had the best on-time arrival rate in
November at 88.7 percent, followed by United Airlines at 87.9 and
American Airlines at 87.6. American Eagle Airlines had the lowest
percentage of on-time flights in November at 79.3 percent, with
Alaska Airlines ranked ninth at 80.2 and America West Airlines
eighth at 80.6.
No real klinkers in the schedules, either.
The monthly report normally contains a list of regularly
scheduled flights that were late at least 80 percent of the
time. During November 2002, however, no flights were late
this frequently, and, as a result, the list is blank. The only
previous reports in which this table contained no flights were
those for September 2002 and September 2001, with the latter report
containing on-time data only for Sept. 1-10 and therefore covering
insufficient operations to generate the table.
The
report contains a note reminding consumers that flight delays can
be caused by a variety of factors. The data on which this report is
based do not identify the causes, only the occurrence, of flight
delays.
These official on-time data are distinct from the data compiled
by the FAA, which records delays while aircraft are under control
of the air traffic control system (i.e., from actual gate pushback
time to actual gate arrival time). FAA data cover delays caused by
weather and aircraft volume, for example, but do not cover delays
at the gate such as those caused by aircraft mechanical problems,
crew unavailability or many weather conditions affecting flights
before they depart. The FAA data are useful for managing the air
traffic control system but are not designed to measure airline
passenger delays.
Flight cancellations down, as weather, newer fleet, stable
labor climate, helped...
The consumer report also includes BTS data on the
number of domestic flights canceled by the reporting carriers. In
November, the carriers canceled 0.9 percent of their scheduled
domestic flights, fewer than both November 2001’s 1.1 percent
and October’s 1.0 percent. Alaska had the highest rate of
canceled flights in November at 2.8 percent, followed by American
Eagle at 2.6 and Southwest Airlines at 1.1. Continental Airlines
had the lowest percentage of cancellations at 0.2 percent, followed
by United at 0.4 and US Airways, also at 0.4 but a fraction of a
percentage point higher than United’s
rate.
Mishandled baggage numbers may have bottomed out for now.
In November, the 10 U.S. airlines required to file flight delay
and mishandled baggage data posted a mishandled baggage rate of
3.16 reports per 1,000 passengers, much better than November
2001’s rate of 3.75 but slightly higher than October’s
3.09.
Complaints: Airline Service
The department received 519 complaints from
consumers about airline service in November, almost unchanged from
both November 2001’s total of 517 and October’s
518.
Complaints: Treatment of Passengers With Disabilities
The report also contains a tabulation of complaints filed with
DOT in November against specific airlines regarding the treatment
of passengers with disabilities. The department received a total of
31 disability-related complaints in November, a 158 percent
increase over the total of 12 recorded in November 2001, but 42.6
percent fewer than the 54 filed in October.
Complaints: Discrimination
Consumers registered five complaints in November alleging
discrimination by airlines due to factors other than disability
– such as race, religion, national origin or sex – 72.2
percent below the total of 18 filed in November 2001 and identical
to the total of five complaints filed in October.
How
YOU can complain:
Consumers may file their complaints in writing with the Aviation
Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation,
C-75, 400 7th St., S.W., Room 4107, Washington, D.C. 20590, by
e-mail at airconsumer@ost.dot.gov, by
voice mail at (202) 366-2220 or by TTY at (202) 366-0511.
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