Delta Air Lines was the most on-time carrier in 2022, according to DOT data
Last year was a little hairy for travelers as airlines struggled to meet surging demand over the summer, and winter weather conspired to snarl flight operations around the holidays – especially at Southwest Airlines.
The Department of Transportation released full-year performance data for the major U.S. airlines on Thursday, with Delta Air Lines and its regional partners having the highest on-time arrival rate in 2022. Delta was the only airline that had more than 80% of its flights arrive within 15 minutes of their schedule on average last year.
On-time performance does not include canceled flights, which are listed separately in DOT data. As a result, Southwest ranked sixth for on-time performance in Dec. 2022, despite canceling 14.6% of its flights that month.
Tell us your story: Mobility device lost or damaged by an airline? USA TODAY wants to hear about it
Major airline on-time performance for 2022
Delta Air Lines (including regional partners) – 82.1% of flights on time
Alaska Airlines (including regional partners) – 79.1% of flights on time
United Airlines (including regional partners) – 78.7% of flights on time
American Airlines (including regional partners) – 77.1% of flights on time
Hawaiian Airlines – 75.8% of flights on time
Southwest Airlines – 73.2% of flights on time
Spirit Airlines – 73.0% of flights on time
Frontier Airlines – 66.1% of flights on time
JetBlue Airways – 64.6% of flights on time
Allegiant Air – 63.4% of flights on time
Overall, the year-to-date on-time arrival rate for U.S. airlines was 76.7%.
Top airports of the year: Singapore Changi Airport is named best in the world for 2023
What you're owed if your flight is delayed or canceled
Canceled? You're entitled to a full refund if you choose not to travel.
Delayed? It depends. Many airlines will rebook you following a significant delay, or compensate you with hotel and meal vouchers among other things. Check out the DOT's online dashboard or this full breakdown from USA TODAY.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Airline on time performance data for 2022 from the DOT