The on-time performance of the nation’s largest airlines improved in 2010 compared to the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Air Travel Consumer Report.
Information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), shows the 18 largest carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 79.8 percent for January through December 2010, versus 2009’s 79.5 percent on-time arrival rate.
During December 2010, these carriers posted an on-time performance rate of 72.0 percent, equal to the December 2009 rate, but down from November 2010’s 83.2 percent rate.
The monthly report also includes data on chronically delayed flights, lengthy tarmac delays, flight cancellations, and the causes of flight delays filed with the Department by the reporting carriers.
In addition, the report contains information on airline bumping, reports of mishandled baggage filed by consumers with the carriers, and consumer service, disability and discrimination complaints received by DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division.
Tarmac delays
In December, the airlines filing on-time data with DOT reported three domestic flights with tarmac delays of more than three hours, compared with 34 a year earlier. Data filed with BTS showed there have been only 15 total tarmac delays of more than three hours reported from May through December versus 584 during the same eight-month period of 2009. In December, the carriers also reported that .0600 percent of their scheduled flights had tarmac delays of two hours or more, compared with .0200 percent in November.
December was the eighth full month of data since the new aviation consumer rule went into effect on April 29, 2010. The new rule prohibits U.S. airlines operating domestic flights from permitting an aircraft to remain on the tarmac at a large or medium hub airport for more than three hours without deplaning passengers, with exceptions allowed only for safety or security or if air traffic control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal would disrupt airport operations.
DOT has also issued a rulemaking that would significantly strengthen the protection afforded to passengers stranded on the ground aboard aircraft for lengthy periods. In a June 2010 notice of proposed rulemaking, the DOT proposed to increase the number of carriers that are required to adopt tarmac delay contingency plans to include foreign air carriers and proposed to increase the number of airports at which carriers must adhere to such plans to include U.S. small and non-hub airports.
In addition, the department proposed to require all carriers that must adopt tarmac delay contingency plans to file data with the Department regarding lengthy tarmac delays. DOT expects to issue a final rule as early as April, which will consider all the comments received as well as the lengthy tarmac delays experienced by a number of foreign carriers at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) during and after the Dec. 26, 2010, blizzard and the resulting impact on passengers traveling on those flights.
Cancellations
During December, when large parts of the country experienced severe winter weather, the carriers canceled 3.7 percent of their scheduled domestic flights, compared with 2.8 percent in December 2009 and 0.7 percent in November 2010. The number of canceled flights with tarmac delays of more than two hours increased only slightly -- from 251 between May and December 2009 to 266 between May and December 2010. There were 25 canceled flights with tarmac delays of more than two hours in December 2010,two fewer than the year before.
Chronically delayed flights
At the end of December, there was only one flight that was chronically delayed -- more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the time -- for three consecutive months. There were an additional six flights that were chronically delayed for two consecutive months. There were no chronically delayed flights for four consecutive months or more.
Causes of flight delays
In December, the carriers filing on-time performance data reported that 7.07 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation system delays, versus 5.38 percent in November; 9.18 percent by late-arriving aircraft, compared with 5.64 percent in November; 6.97 percent by factors within the airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, as opposed to 4.58 percent in November; 0.76 percent by extreme weather, compared with 0.31 percent in November; and 0.08 percent for security reasons, versus 0.03 percent in November.
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 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 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 December, 36.67 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, compared with 19.05 percent from December 2009, when 45.30 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, and 15.61 percent from November when 31.72 percent of late flights were delayed by weather.
Mishandled baggage
U.S. carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 4.80 reports per 1,000 passengers in December, versus December 2009’s rate of 5.27 and November 2010’s rate of 2.93. For all of last year, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 3.57 per 1,000 passengers, an improvement over 2009’s rate of 3.99.
Bumping
U.S. carriers a bumping rate of 1.09 per 10,000 passengers last year, as opposed to the 1.23 rate posted in 2009. For the fourth quarter of last year, the carriers posted a bumping rate of 0.79 per 10,000 passengers; the rate was 1.13 for the same period in 3009.
Incidents involving pets
In December, carriers reported seven incidents involving the loss, death or injury of pets while traveling by air, compared with both the three reports filed in December 2009 and the six reports filed in November 2010. December’s incidents involved six pet deaths and one pet injury. For all of last year, carriers reported 39 pet deaths, 13 pet injuries, and five lost pets. In 2009, carriers reported 22 pet deaths, six pet injuries, and four lost pets.
Complaints about airline service
In December, there were 753 complaints about airline service from consumers, up 8.8 percent from in December 2009 and 3.7 percent in November 2010. For all of last year, the Department received 10,985 complaints, 24.5 percent higher than in 2009.
Complaints about treatment of disabled passengers
The report also contains a tabulation of complaints filed with DOT in December against airlines regarding the treatment of passengers with disabilities. There was a total of 38 disability-related complaints in December, equal to the number filed in December 2009 and five fewer than the number received in November 2010. For all of last year, the Department received 572 disability complaints, up 10.2 percent from 2009.
Complaints About Discrimination
In December, DOT received 14 complaints alleging discrimination by airlines due to factors other than disability -- such as race, religion, national origin or sex – three more than the totals recorded in both December 2009 and in November 2010. For all of last year, the Department received 143 discrimination complaints, up 9.1 percent from 2009.
Consumers may file their complaints in writing with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590; by voice mail at (202) 366-2220 or by TTY at (202) 366-0511; or on the Web.
