The Best and Worst Airlines and Airports in the US: September 2017
Hawaiian Airlines ruled the skies for the month of September, while JetBlue struggled to keep up, and Newark Liberty was arguably the worst major airport in the US, according to the latest government statistics.
Scouring through the monthly Air Travel Consumer Report, compiled by the US Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings and Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Safety Authority, clear winners and losers in aviation emerged.
This TPG's first dive into the OAEP stats, but we'll be looking at the stats every month from now on. All our figures come straight from the report and, unless otherwise specified, apply only for September 2017.
On-Time Arrivals
Best: Hawaiian
The Honolulu-based airline arrived on time at US airports an impressive 94% of the time in September, beating the overall average by over 10%. (The average of the 12 biggest domestic carriers was 83.6%.) Hawaiian was also the No. 1 airline for on-time arrivals for all 12 months from September 2016 to September 2017, so its success isn't just a blip.
Worst: JetBlue
New York City's JetBlue fared much worse, arriving late nearly a quarter of the time more than Hawaiian. It was only on time 70.1% to US airports in September. For the entire 12 months previous, JetBlue vied with Virgin America for least on-time airline in the US — JetBlue's 12-month average was 70.7%, just a hair above Virgin America's 69.3%.
Cancellations
Best: Hawaiian
Once again, Hawaiian came out on top, with a meager 0.4% of its flights cancelled for the month — 23 out of 6,571 scheduled to 17 airports.
Worst: Spirit
Miramar, Florida's Spirit Airlines canceled more than one out of every 10 flights in September, or a whopping 10.4% (1,350 cancellations out of 12,919 flights to 38 airports).
Bumped Passengers
Best: Delta
For the year to date (January to September 2017), Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines was the winner when it came to overbooking and bumping passengers. The industry euphemism for bumping passengers is "involuntary denied boardings," and Delta had 0.07 per 10,000 passengers, or 679 bumped would-be flyers versus the 99,796,155 who made it on (which, by the way, is a smidge more than the population of Egypt).
Worst: Spirit
Dispirited may be more like it: Spirit's bump rate was more than 12 times worse than Delta for most of the year, or 0.88 involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers (1,502 bumped versus 17,069,647 who made it on).
Baggage
Best Airline: Delta
Delta shined again in September, with the smallest rate of misplaced-baggage complaints — 1.32 complaints per 1,000 passengers. And, finally, Spirit actually has a reason to be happy with its numbers, as it's the overall best baggage handler from January through September 2017 —1.62 complaints per 1,000 passengers. They might not be the most reliable at getting you to your destination, but at least they get your luggage there!
Worst Airline: ExpressJet
On the other hand, ExpressJet Airlines is probably not going to be your first choice for getting your prized collection of Christmas sweaters home. The airlines, based out of College Park, Georgia, was nearly twice as bad as Delta with luggage, with 2.55 reports per 1,000 passengers in September. It's also the worst from all of January through September 2017, with a troubling 4.02 misplaced-baggage complaints per 1,000 passengers, or a more than one in 250 chance that your luggage would be lost if you flew ExpressJet in that period.
On-Time Performance
Best: Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
For some reason, the Hawaiian Islands just came out on top in September. Honolulu Airport was easily the most timely major airport in the US, with 95.7% on-time departures (3,858 of them). It also topped the charts for on-time arrivals, with a more-than-reputable 93.7% rate.
Worst (not directed affected by Hurricane Irma): Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Because of the devastating storm season that hit the Caribbean parts of the mainland US including Texas and Florida, we're not including those airports when assessing worst-of-month timeliness. The worst major airport not directly affected by the storms was Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), with a 77.8% on-time departure rate. Its arrival rate was even worse, with only 70.4% of flights landing in north Jersey on time.
Perfect On-Time Airport: Roswell International Air Center (ROW)
The small airport just south of Roswell, New Mexico, has unearthly powers of timeliness: It had a perfect record of on-time departures and arrivals for September 2017. Granted, that was a total of only 30 flights in and 30 flights out, but it's still impressive, and they deserve kudos.
Customer Complaints
Best: Southwest
When it came to customer satisfaction — or, more accurately, lack of customer criticism — Southwest Airlines led the way for avoiding passenger complaints. Only 0.53 passengers per 100,000 lodged official complaints against the airline from January through September 2017.
Worst: Spirit
Yup, Spirit pops up again in a Worst category, with 6.41 complaints per 100,000 passengers for the year to date (January through September).
The Worst Flight: JetBlue 1005 EWR-FLL (With a Caveat)
Arguably the worst flight to book in all of September was JetBlue Flight 1005 from Newark Liberty (EWR) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), averaging a late arrival of nearly two hours — 115.90 minutes, to be exact. Still, considering that Fort Lauderdale was hit by Hurricane Irma, we're taking that with a grain of salt.
Worst Tarmac Delay: Volaris 881 JFK-MEX
The dubious honor of the most time spent on the tarmac by a single flight went to Volaris 881, from New York-JFK to Mexico City (MEX), which was stuck on the asphalt at JFK for 261 minutes (four hours, 21 minutes!) on Sept. 13.
Times to Fly
Best: 6:00am to 6:59am Departures, 7:00am to 7:59am Arrivals
Morning flights, either coming or going, are your best bet for getting somewhere in a jiffy. When departing, the earlier the better: Flights that left during the 6:00am hour were on time 91.4% of the time in September. Those that arrived between 7:00am and 7:59am were 91.5 likely to be on time.
Worst: 9:00pm to 9:59 Departures, 6:00pm to 6:59pm Arrivals
Evening flights, on the other hand, paled in comparison. Flights leaving between 6:00pm and 6:59pm made it off the ground on time 75.9% of the time. Those scheduled to land between 10:00pm and 10:59pm hit their mark only 75.4% of the time.
Charts courtesy of the US Department of Transportation Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings. Featured image by Getty Images.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
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.
Rewards Rate
| 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
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.