No matter how good of a deal a traveler gets on cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages, no deal can offset the frustration felt when trapped in a plane on a runway for an extended period of time. The good news is that such delays are dropping sharply. In May there were five flights that sat on runways for three hour or more vs. 35 such delays a year ago May.
United operated four of the extended delayed flights in May. One of those flights sat on a runway for almost five hours. The four delayed United flights were headed for Denver on May 26th and were delayed by severe thunderstorms and hail. Denvers Airport that day ran 30 to 60 minute delays on average and provided limited use of runways.
The fifth flight delayed for an extended period was a Delta flight leaving from Atlanta to Dallas Fort Worth on May 28th. Thunderstorms in Dallas were blamed for the delay.
Thunderstorms continue to be one of the main reasons for flight delays because they are not easy for airlines and airports to forecast with accuracy.
The Department of Transportation has said that it will be weeks or even months before it decides whether to assess any fines against the airlines for violations. Airlines face a maximum fine of $27,500 per passenger for flights that do not return to the terminal when they are sit on runways for 3 hours or more. Exceptions are allowed for safety and security reasons.
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