Sometimes airline flights are delayed due to bad weather. However, at other times they are delayed because no one seems to know why.
If you want to do whatever you can to avoid the prospect of a flight delay or cancellation, there is good news. New research shows that your choice of airline directly affects whether your flight can be delayed or canceled. In other words, some airlines are more prone to delays and cancellations than others.
The Family Vacation Guide staff began researching flight information to determine which airlines are most likely to experience flights that are delayed or canceled so you may be able to plan a trip accordingly.
Family Vacation Guide analyzed data compiled by the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). According to the BTS report, which was compiled from data recorded between July 2019 and July 2021, a flight is considered delayed if it arrives 15 or more minutes later than the schedule.
Based on its findings, Family Vacation Guide has compiled a list of the airlines whose flights are most likely to be delayed or canceled. As the report’s authors note, “It may come as no surprise that the three airlines with the highest percentage of late arrivals are all low-cost carriers.”
Let’s get to the list in a moment. Here are the 10 U.S. airlines that are most likely to experience flight delays.
1. Faithful air
Las Vegas-based Allegiant offers flights from small and medium-sized cities to vacation destinations at “industrially low average prices”. The airline, the official carrier of the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL and the naming rights partner for the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, offers non-stop flights to locations in the US as well as flights to Canada and Mexico.
More than a quarter of these flights were delayed or canceled. In fact, 27.31 percent of the airline’s flights were delayed while only 72.69 percent of flights were on time, according to research by Family Vacation Guide.
2. JetBlue Airways
JetBlue, based in New York City, was the seventh largest US airline by 2020 passenger numbers with 14.31 million passengers. The airline serves more than 100 destinations in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America and flies primarily from hubs in New York City, Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Juan.
Research by Family Vacation Guide found that 23.20 percent of the airline’s flights were delayed or canceled, while 76.9 percent of flights were on time.
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3. Frontier airlines
Frontier, headquartered in Denver, states that it is committed to “Low Fares Done Right” and that the company’s employees “are tireless in our efforts to save you money on your flights.” The airline serves around 120 destinations in the USA, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America.
More than 21 percent of the airline’s flights have been delayed or canceled. Conversely, just under 79 percent (78.76) of Frontier flights were on time, reports Family Vacation Guide.
4. Envoy Air
Envoy Air was originally founded as American Eagle Airlines and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group. The airline, based in Irving, Texas, offers regional flights for American through American hubs such as Dallas / Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. It offers around 1,000 flights a day to more than 150 destinations.
Research by Family Vacation Guide found that nearly a fifth (19.52 percent) of Envoy’s flights were delayed or canceled, while 80.48 percent of flights were on time.
5. United Airlines
Chicago-based United was the fourth largest US airline by number of passengers last year, carrying 37.99 million travelers. The airline offers 3,118 daily flights to 252 US cities and 80 international locations. Much of this traffic leaves its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, DC
Of those flights, 81.40 percent were on time and 18.6 percent of the flights were delayed, explains Family Vacation Guide.
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6. American Airlines
Founded in 1930 and headquartered near Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas, American was the second largest US airline based on the number of passengers in 2020. In fact, 65.85 million people traveled on the airline last year. With its regional partner American Eagle, the airline offers 6,700 flights a day to 350 destinations in 50 countries.
Research by Family Vacation Guide shows that 18.55 percent of those flights were delayed while 81.45 percent were on time.
7. Spirit Airlines
Spirit states that it offers flights to more than 60 destinations at “ultra-low tariffs”. These flights include destinations in the United States as well as the Caribbean and Latin America. Spirit, based in Miramar, Florida, in the greater Miami area, was the sixth largest US airline by passenger numbers last year, carrying 18.44 million passengers.
Just over 82 percent of flights were on time last year, while 17.96 percent of flights were delayed, notes Family Vacation Guide.
8. Southwest Airlines
Dallas-based Southwest was the largest US airline by passenger count last year, carrying 69.65 million passengers. The airline notes that in 2019 it offered more than 4,000 weekday departures to 101 U.S. destinations as well as destinations in 10 other countries.
A little more than 83 percent of these flights were on time. On the other hand, almost 17 percent of flights were delayed, explains the study by Family Vacation Guide.
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9. Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, based in Seattle, and its regional partners serve more than 120 destinations in the USA as well as Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. The airline announced earlier this week that it would offer daily non-stop flights from Seattle-Tacoma to Miami next year. This announcement means that Alaska Airlines will serve 100 destinations non-stop.
Research by Family Vacation Guide found that just over 83 percent of the airline’s flights were on time, while just under 17 percent of flights were delayed.
10. SkyWest Airlines
SkyWest Airlines was the fifth largest US airline by 2020 passenger numbers with 20.36 million passengers. However, the airline notes that it carried more than 43 million passengers in 2019 through its partnerships with United, Delta, American and Alaska Airlines. SkyWest Airlines, based in St. George, Utah, offers flights to 236 cities in the United States, as well as destinations in Canada and Mexico.
Just over 84 percent of the airline’s flights were on time last year, Family Vacation Guide found. The flip side of the coin is that 15.99 percent of flights were delayed.
While you are thinking about it, be sure to read the rest of our airport and flight reviews, including:
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