WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its April 2020 Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on reporting marketing and operating air carrier data compiled for the month of February 2020. The full consumer report and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at http://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer.
February On-Time Performance
In February 2020, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 83.8%, down from the 84.6% on-time rate in January 2020 but up from 73.8% in February 2019.
Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates February 2020 (ATCR Table 1)
1. Hawaiian Airlines Network – 89.6%
2. Southwest Airlines – 89.3%
3. Delta Air Lines Network – 86.0%
Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates February 2020 (ATCR Table 1)
1. Allegiant Air – 75.5%
2. American Airlines Network – 80.3%
3. Frontier Airlines – 80.8%
February Cancellations
In February 2020, reporting marketing carriers canceled 1.0% of their scheduled domestic flights, a lower rate than both 1.3% in January 2020 and 3.1% in February 2019.
Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights February 2020 (ATCR Table 6)
1. JetBlue Airways – 0.1%
2. Delta Air Lines Network – 0.2%
3. Allegiant Air – 0.3%
Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights February 2020 (ATCR Table 6)
1. American Airlines Network – 1.8%
2. Southwest Airlines – 1.1%
3. Hawaiian Airlines Network – 1.1%
Tarmac Delays
In February 2020, airlines reported one tarmac delay of more than three hours on domestic flights, fewer than the four such tarmac delays reported in January 2020 and than the 16 domestic flight tarmac delays reported in February 2019. In February 2020, airlines reported two tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared to no such tarmac delays reported in both January 2020 and February 2019. Extended tarmac delays are investigated by the Department.
February Domestic Flights with Longest Tarmac Delays Exceeding Three Hours (ATCR Table 8)
1. Delta Air Lines flight 2586 from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. (MSP) to Phoenix, Ariz. (PHX) 2/9/20 – delayed 3 hours and 2 minutes on the tarmac at Minneapolis-St. Paul
There were no additional tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights in February.
February International Flights with Longest Tarmac Delays Exceeding Four Hours (ATCR Table 8A)
1. United Airlines flight 105 from Delhi, India (DEL), to San Francisco (SFO) 2/7/20 – delayed 4 hours and 38 minutes on the tarmac at Oakland, Calif. (OAK) after being diverted
2. United Airlines flight 955 from Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV), to San Francisco (SFO) 2/7/20 – delayed 4 hours and 38 minutes on the tarmac at Sacramento, Calif. (SMF) after being diverted
There were no additional tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights in February.
Mishandled Baggage
In February 2020, the reporting marketing carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 5.05 mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags, a lower rate than the January 2020 rate of 5.48 per 1,000 checked bags and than the February 2019 rate of 6.27 per 1,000 checked bags
See the March 2020 Air Travel Consumer Report for mishandled baggage numbers by airline.
Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters
In February 2020, reporting marketing airlines reported checking 50,250 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 678, a rate of 1.35% mishandled, compared to the rate of 1.47% mishandled in January 2020 and the rate of 1.72% in February 2019.
See the February 2020 Air Travel Consumer Report for mishandled wheelchair and scooter numbers by airline.
Bumping/Oversales
Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly. Fourth quarter 2019 bumping/oversales data were released in the February 2020 Air Travel Consumer Report . First quarter 2020 bumping/oversales data will be available in the May 2020 Air Travel Consumer Report .
See the February 2020 Air Travel Consumer Report for denied boarding numbers by airline.
Incidents Involving Animals
In February 2020, carriers reported two incidents involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, up from the zero reports filed in February 2019, but down from the three reports filed in January 2020. February’s incidents involved the deaths of two animals.
Complaints About Airline Service
In February 2020, DOT received 1,187 complaints about airline service from consumers, up 11.1 percent from the total of 1,068 filed in February 2019, but down 9.1 percent from the 1,306 received in January 2020.
Complaints About Treatment of Disabled Passengers
In February 2020, the Department received a total of 72 disability-related complaints, up from both the 60 complaints received in February 2019 and the 70 complaints received in January 2020. All complaints alleging discrimination on the basis of disability are investigated.
Complaints About Discrimination
In February 2020, the Department received six complaints alleging discrimination – four regarding race, one regarding ancestry/ethnicity, and one categorized as “other.” This is down from the total of 12 discrimination complaints recorded in February 2019 and the 11 recorded in January 2020.
All complaints alleging discrimination are investigated to determine if there has been a violation(s) of the passenger’s civil rights.
Consumers may file air travel consumer or civil rights complaints online at http://airconsumer.dot.gov/escomplaint/ConsumerForm.cfm. They may also mail a complaint to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.
