As great as it is to snare cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages, a trip is all the better when your flight leaves on time. The good news is that U.S. carries are doing a better job of staying on schedule.
Carriers averaged 80 percent on-time arrivals in March, which was an improvement on Februarys performance and superior to March of 09.
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines turned in the best on-time performances with American Airlines, ExpressJet and JetBlue performing the worst.
25 flights in March remained on runways for three hours or longer, with four sitting for at least four hours. With the new rules that took effect the end of April, airlines are subject to fines of up to $27,500 per passenger for all flights stranded on a runway for three hours or more where the passengers are not given the opportunity to exit the plane.
SkyWest had the most runway delays, with 10 flights stranded for at least three hours. SkyWest operates regional flights for Delta and United.
Lost, damaged, delayed or stolen bag problems occurred at a lower rate in March, with one in every 269 passengers experiencing a baggage issue vs. one in every 236 passengers last year.
During the first quarter of 10 the airlines bumped 23,380 passengers. Even though the overall rate of passengers being bumped remained relatively low at 1.73 for every 10,000 passengers, this years bump rate was 25 percent higher than last year.
www.cheapfares.com