This No Frills Airline Now Arrives On-Time More Than Any Other US Carrier
Passengers who book a flight with Spirit Airlines might not get the most legroom or free refreshments, but they are pretty much guaranteed to arrive on time, according to new data.
The Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report named Spirit Airlines the No. 1 airline for on-time arrivals for the month of October in the US. This is the first time the budget airline has achieved this milestone.
For the month of October, 89% of Spirit's flight arrived on-time at the 361 airports surveyed by DOT. Following closely behind was Hawaiian Airlines, with 88.5% of flights arriving on-time and Delta, with 87.1%.
According to a different survey by FlightStats, Spirit took the title again in November, with 82.7% of its flights arriving on-time (with the weighted monthly average dropping about 3 percentage points last month), and the airliner hopes to continue this trend.
"We have looked at every aspect of our operation to improve our reliability and this ranking only highlights those changes," Spirit said in a statement to TPG. "From adjusting our schedule, aircraft utilization, and crew scheduling, it has been a complete overhaul. This is part of our continued effort to invest in the Guest experience, all while providing the best value in the sky. We are happy with the operational numbers we continue to see, and we feel like we are on the right course."
This upward trend is a far cry from Spirit's ranking in 2016, the year in which the ultra-low-cost carrier held the bottom spot for on-time arrivals 11 months in a row -- going from a reputation for tardiness to overtaking the rankings entirely.
Generally speaking, ultra-low-cost carriers have good incentive to be timely. After all, saving time is akin to saving money for ULCCs, which turn around their planes at lighting speed in between their jam-packed flight schedules to maximize profits. Plus, new Spirit CEO Bob Fornaro is further incentivizing on-time arrivals with executive and manager bonuses.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.