Cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms remain a top requirement of experienced travelers, but on-time flights are something they also highly value. United turned in the best on-time performance in 09 among the nations largest traditional carriers, with a 77.3 percent on-time rate, beating Deltas 76 percent record.
United performance was all the more impressive given that it finished 08 with the second poorest on-time record of the big traditional airlines, slightly better than American. Uniteds 09 on-time rating was an improvement of almost 10 percentage points over the prior year.
United jumped on the good news, emailing its frequent fliers claiming United is number one at getting you there on time.
United performance benefited the company as well as its passengers since on-time performance helps an airlines profitability by reducing costs caused by delayed flights such as working to place travelers on later flights and dealing with late bag delivery.
The addition of a 5th runway in November of 08 at Chicago OHare, Uniteds busiest hub, clearly contributed to Uniteds improved performance. In the 11 months after this runway opened, OHare improved from the worst airport country in the U.S., ranking 31st, with 70 percent of its departures on-time, to the 20th, turning in a 78 percent on-time record.