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The nation’s largest airlines recorded a rate of on-time flights this past March that was higher than in February but down from the rate posted in March 2006, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

The 20 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 73.3 percent in March, down from March 2006’s 76.1 but an improvement over February 2007’s 67.3 percent.

Special jeers for U.S. Airways. According to the government agency, the airline had by far the lowest on-time rate at 55.5% (JetBlue was next with 63% — that’s a huge difference). Even more astonishing was the performance of several US Airways flight. The survey found that one flight between Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport to New York — a flight with direct competition from Delta’s “shuttle” was late 100% of the time. That’s right, every single flight. Here are the worst five flights and the top 3 overall performing airlines:

Most Frequently Delayed Flights

1. US Airways flight 2188 from Washington Reagan to New York LaGuardia – late 100%  of the time
2. ExpressJet Airlines flight 2575 from Newark, NJ to Pittsburgh – late 96.15 percent of the time
3. Comair flight 5274 from Boston to New York JFK – late 96.00 percent of the time
4. US Airways flight 836 from Boston to Philadelphia – late 95.00 percent of the time
5. US Airways flight 834 Charlotte, NC to Buffalo, NY – late 92.86 percent of the time

Highest On-Time Arrival Rates

1. Hawaiian Airlines – 93.9 percent
2. Aloha Airlines – 93.2 percent
3. Frontier Airlines – 84.8 percent

Posted under Travel

A report by the United States Department of Transportation found that the hundreds of thousands of airline passengers whose travel was disrupted during the Christmas holidays were partially the result of poor weather and partially due to poor customer service.

In a prepared statement, Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta exonerated Comair, saying, “The report makes clear that Comair’s troubles were caused by an ice storm that was greater than anticipated and limitations in its crew scheduling computer that it was unaware existed”.

The Secretary had caustic comments for US Airways, however. In the same statement, Secretary Mineta said, “By contrast, US Airways’ troubles were the result of staffing shortfalls at its Philadelphia hub. The Inspector General found that while these shortfalls were anticipated by US Airways’ management, their plans to address them did not succeed. I am troubled that the report also indicates that US Airways lacked certain data concerning the disruptions, such as the number of lost baggage or whether persons with disabilities and unaccompanied minors were properly accommodated.”

US Airways seemed to take the chiding in stride, releasing a statement that read in part, “We have worked very hard since that time to improve our staffing situation and implement other changes that will enhance our operations, including a major February schedule change that is having a clear and beneficial impact….[W]e trust that DOT officials recognize both our regret over the situation as well as the many initiatives we have taken to improve service to our customers

Posted under Customer Service