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The Department of Transportation (DOT) has released an illuminating report highlighting the safest airlines in the United States amid long-running mass travel delays. With airlines canceling or delaying thousands of flights for months at a time, it’s hard to find a traveler who hasn’t seen their travel plans affected or completely disrupted. With the help of this report, travelers will know which airline has the best chance of saving their vacation.
As we head into what is expected to be the fall and winter travel season, with the travel industry looking unlikely to slow down, it’s never been more worthwhile for American travelers to research which airlines are the safest. Here’s a look at what DOT has to say about the mess that travel finds itself in, and what the report says about the sharp increase in customer complaints over the past few months.
DOT Report Findings – What Travelers Need to Know
A convenient travel report published by the DOT, called the Air Travel Consumer Report, was published on their website on Friday, August 26. The report takes into account the airlines’ combined performance data for June and the 2022 quarter, including on-time performance of airlines, number of consumer complaints received, incorrect baggage claims and handling of wheelchairs and scooters.
Overall, the airline industry in the United States scheduled 602,057 scheduled flights in June, of which 18,473 (3.1%) were canceled. While those numbers may not seem particularly high, last month, May, only 2 percent of all flights were canceled, compared to 1.6 percent of all flights in June of last year. With nearly double the number of canceled flights compared to last year and growing demand for travel, the figures are sure to alarm travelers with travel plans this year.
However, some airlines have fared better than others. Hawaiian Airlines had very few canceled flights, with only 0.1% of scheduled flights canceled. Alaska Airlines trailed behind with just 0.7% cancellations, while Frontier earned the bronze medal with just 1.1% cancellations. For travelers who want to escape, airlines are booking their vacations to reduce the risk of smoke inhalation.
Airlines with high cancellation rates are some of the biggest names in the aviation industry worldwide. American Airlines was the worst offender, with 4.4% of their flights canceled – higher than the average of 3.1%. The second-worst airline, Delta, had 3.9% of its flights canceled in June, while United had 3.5% of its flights canceled, making it the third most unreliable airline in the US.
But what Delta lacks in flight cancellations, they make up for in on-time arrivals. Dot reported that Delta arrived on time 78.4% of its flights — slightly below top-performing Alaska Airlines’ 78.7% and just ahead of Hawaii, which had an on-time arrival rate of 77.2%. The three worst offenders in this category are Allegiant Air, 59.0% JetBlue Airways – 61.3% and Frontier Airlines, with arrival rates of 59%, 61.3% and 69.5% respectively. If travelers want to meet or catch up, Hawaii and Alaska seem like the way to go.
All those cancellations and delayed flights have led to an alarming increase in the number of complaints handled by the DOT, with 5,862 received by the department in 2019, a 270 percent increase from the same period before the outbreak. Complaints relate to cancellations, delays or other schedule deviations from airlines, and a large proportion are related to refunds. Complaints about the treatment and discrimination of disabled travelers have increased, and the number of mishandled bags has also increased – reinforcing the idea of carry-on travel only.
Read more:
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This article originally appeared on Off-Road Travel. For the latest breaking news affecting your next trip, please visit: Traveloffpath.com
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Disclaimer: Current travel laws and restrictions Subject to change without notice. Travel decisions are ultimately your responsibility. Before you travel, check with your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your citizenship and/or any changes to travel requirements. Off-Road Travel does not support travel against government advice.
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