Weather-related delays can occur on airline flights. Sometimes, though, they are delayed for reasons that, well, nobody seems to be able to figure out. Having said that, you should presumably stay away from airlines that experience frequent delays.
The good news is that there’s something you can do to minimize the possibility of a flight delay or cancellation. According to a recent study, whether or not you have delayed or canceled flights is directly related to the airline you choose. To put it another way, some airlines have a higher tendency than others to postpone or cancel scheduled flights. Nevertheless, a certain proportion of flights are canceled or delayed on even the top US airlines.
Top American Airlines for Most Flight Delays
1. Allegiant Air
According to the Las Vegas-based airline Allegiant Air, it provides travel to holiday locations at “industry-low average fares” from small and medium-sized cities. This low-cost airline serves as the naming rights partner for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and is the official airline of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. It provides nonstop scheduled flights to destinations around the United States in addition to service to Canada and Mexico.
Of those flights, almost 25% experienced delays or cancellations. It turns out that only 72.69 percent of the airline’s flights were on time, with 27.31 percent of them delayed. You now have it. Allegiant is the US airline with the most number of cancellations and delays.
2. JetBlue Airways
With 14.31 million passengers carried in 2020, New York City-based JetBlue Airways ranked eighth in terms of passenger volume in the United States. Serving over 100 destinations in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America, the airline primarily operates out of hubs located in New York City, Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Juan. According to the study, only 23.20% of JetBlue Airway’s scheduled flights were canceled or delayed, compared to 769.9% of on-time departures.
3. A Frontier Airlines
With its main office located in Denver, Frontier Airlines states that its staff is dedicated to providing “Low Fares Done Right” and that they work “tirelessly in our efforts to save you money on your flights.” The airline flies to about 120 locations in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. The airline had delays or cancellations on more than 21% of its flights. In contrast, Frontier’s on-time percentage was just under 79 percent (78.76).
4. Envoy Air
Envoy Air is a fully owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group, having been created as American Eagle Airlines initially. The airline, which has its main office in Irving, Texas, serves America through American hubs including Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles with regional aircraft service. It serves over 150 locations with about 1,000 flights every day.
According to the research results, 80.48 percent of Envoy’s flights were on time, while nearly one-fifth (19.52 percent) of the flights were canceled or delayed.
5. United Airlines
United Airlines, based in Chicago, carried 37.99 million passengers last year, making it the fourth-largest airline in the United States by passenger count. The airline operates 3,118 daily flights to 252 cities in the United States and 80 international airports. Its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. handle a large portion of that traffic. According to the study, of those flights, 81.40 percent were on time, while 18.6 percent had delays.
6. American Airlines
In terms of passengers carried in 2020, American Airlines, which was founded in 1930 and has its headquarters near Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, ranked second in the United States. 65.85 million passengers used the airline last year. The airline operates 6,700 daily flights to 350 destinations in 50 countries alongside its regional partner, American Eagle. 81.45 percent of the flights were on time, compared to 18.55 percent of delayed flights, according to the data.
7. Spirit Airlines
As one of the more well-liked options for low-cost carriers, Spirit Carriers claims to provide flights to more than 60 locations at “ultra-low fares.” The Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States are among the destinations served by those flights. Spirit Airlines, based in Miramar, Florida, and serving the Miami metro region, carried 18.44 million passengers last year, making it the sixth-largest airline in the United States by passenger count.
According to the study results, just over 82% of its flights last year were on schedule, while 17.96% of them experienced delays.
8. Southwest Airlines
Carrying 69.65 million passengers last year, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines was the biggest airline in the United States. The airline reports that it served 101 U.S. locations and 10 additional countries with more than 4,000 weekday departures in 2019.
A little over 83% of those flights were on schedule. Southwest Airlines has a reasonable track record when it comes to delayed flights—just under 17% of its flights had delays. One reason might be the small number of flights Southwest Airlines operates to airports outside of the United States.
9. Alaska Airlines
Based in Seattle, Alaska Airlines and its regional partners fly to over 120 destinations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Costa Rica. The airline declared earlier this week that starting in 2019, it will provide daily direct flights from Seattle-Tacoma to Miami. The airline will now offer nonstop service to 100 destinations, according to the announcement. Findings from the study indicate that the airline operated slightly over 83% of its flights on time and just under 17% of its flights late.
10. The SkyWest Airlines
With a passenger count of 20.36 million in 2020, SkyWest Airlines ranked as the fifth-biggest airline in the United States. The airline does note that thanks to its alliances with United, Alaska, American, and Delta Air Lines, it transported over 43 million passengers in 2019. The St. George, Utah-based SkyWest Airlines serves 236 American cities as well as locations in Canada and Mexico.