Delta Canceled Just 10 Flights in September 2016
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!
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
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?
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.