Most travelers highly value cheap airplane tickets as well as discount hotel rooms. However, experienced passengers prefer when possible to take flights that are likely to arrive on time.
The DOT (Department of Transportation) announced that nations 19 largest airlines flights arrived on-time 80 percent of the time in 09. Flights are judged to be on-time if they arrive no more than 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival times.
Last year the airlines improved on-time performance was aided by operating fewer flights, schedule padding, and greater attention being placed on improving operations.
Airlines have continually padded their projected arrival times for flights to the busiest airports. The airlines claim that the extra time is needed to allow for unpredictable delays, particularly at the three congested New York area airports, all of which finished in the bottom third of on time departures in 09.
United, which had the second worst on-time performance amount the major airlines in 08, offered its workers bonuses for first or second place monthly finishes in 09, built more time into its schedules and added spare planes. Workers ended up earning an average of $825 per worker for improved on-time performance in 09.
The DOT reported that were almost 4 reported cases of mishandled luggage last year per 1,000 travelers, the lowest rate since 04.
An indication of the airlines confidence in their business improving going forward is the fact that there were about20,000 more flights in December vs. November.