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Delta Canceled Just 10 Flights in September 2016

Nov. 18, 2016
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2 min read
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Delta Canceled Just 10 Flights in September 2016
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Were you on a canceled Delta flight in September? If so, you're one of very few passengers who were so unlucky. Ditto for most of the other airlines. The Department of Transportation reported yesterday that flight cancellations hit an all-time low in September, with just 0.3% (that's 3 in 1,000) of flights being canceled. Delta led the way with just 10 flight cancellations all month, earning a coveted 0.0% (after rounding down) cancellation rate.

For comparison, airlines had a 1.4% cancellation rate in August. Thanks to its system outage in early August, Delta was one of the worst offenders that month, with 2.1% of its flights canceled.

Another great stat for September: There were no domestic (3 hours) or international (4 hours) flights with a significant tarmac delay. This compares with 15 domestic delays and 5 international delays in August. As we've reported before, a study has shown that the DOT rules penalizing airlines for such delays has led to airlines canceling more flights. Well, in September, it seems airlines were able to avoid both!

Here are the causes of the delays that occurred in September. Image courtesy of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

On-time performance in September (85.49%) also saw some improvements from earlier this year, but it certainly fell short of record-setting. Hawaiian Airlines led the pack with a 91.3% on-time rating, with Alaska (90.3%) and Delta (90.2%) taking silver and bronze. Dragging down the industry's performance was Frontier (71.7%), JetBlue (78.7%) and Virgin America (82.3%).

There were six flights that were chronically delayed in September. So, you might want to avoid these flights if you need to be somewhere on time:

  • United #1202 BOS-EWR: 65% delay rate
  • Frontier #522 DEN-CLE: 61% delay rate
  • Southwest #3099 BOS-STL: 58% delay rate
  • Frontier #1045 PHL-IND: 54% delay rate
  • Southwest #1534 BWI-BOS: 52% delay rate
  • Southwest #2462 SMF-SEA: 52% delay rate
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Bottom Line

Credit where credit is due: September was an excellent month for air travel. Airlines combined to achieve the lowest canceled-flight rate since the DOT started keeping track in 1995. On-time performance was decent; there were no excessive tarmac delays; even mishandled baggage rates dropped. We hope that airlines can keep up this performance as we head into the winter months.

Were you on a canceled flight in September?

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.