Most of nation's chronically delayed flights again bear a Delta logo
Fliers concerned with punctuality may want to avoid Delta partner Comair flights 5463 and 5283. Those flights share the distinction of being the USA's most-chronically delayed flights, arriving at least 15 minutes behind schedule every time they flew in October, the latest month for which statistics are available from the Department of Transportation (PDF file, begins on page 14). Customers may want to be especially wary of Flight 5283, which flies from New York JFK to Washington Reagan National. Not only was the flight late all 31 times it flew in October, it was also late 100% of the time in September. In October, Flight 5283 arrived late by an average of 92 minutes. As for Comair Flight 5463, the JFK-to-Buffalo service had an average delay of 113 minutes. Overall, October was the third rough month in a row for Delta and Delta Connection partners Comair and Atlantic Southeast. Delta-branded flights on those three carriers accounted for 39 of the nation's 52 most-chronically delayed flights. Comair had the worst performance of the three, operating seven of the nation's eight most-delayed flights and 30 of the worst 52. Delta's mainline flights, however, accounted for just three of the 39 most-frequently delayed flights that flew under the Delta logo. Delta partner Atlantic Southeast flew six of the 39. Those results cap a poor performance for Delta-branded flights during the past two months. Delta and its partners accounted for 39 of the nation's 42 most-delayed flights in August and 46 of the worst 53 in September. As for other airline's during the most-recent month (October), United partner SkyWest and AirTran had next-highest share of the USA's 52 most-chronically delayed flights (four each).
Comair spokeswoman Kate Marx acknowledged in an e-mail that the airline is "disappointed in our performance results -- especially since Comair ranked in the top tier of the DOT report earlier this year." Marx notes the delays come as Comair began a rapid expansion at New York JFK, a move made in conjunction with parent-company Delta's quick build-up of an international hub there. "This transition coincided with renovations and other changes at the airport," she says, adding that weather and congestion issues common in the Northeast didn't help the situation. "We have been working diligently to address our challenges, but we also know that it can take several months before we see results," she adds. Indeed, the DOT's monthly delay numbers typically are released 30 to 40 days following the month that the data is for.
So, should customers expect changes? Yes, Marx says. She says the airline already has adjusted staff and equipment levels to help address the situation. In addition, Comair is "evaluating the timing of the flights," something Marx says can help in two ways. For the oft-delayed Flight 5283 between JFK and Washington, Marx says the flight will be moved 20 minutes earlier "to try to miss some of the international traffic, which can affect the length of the take-off queue." Another change could involve increasing "block time," or the total amount of time it takes a flight to taxi out, fly its route and taxi in after it arrives. "Accurate block times are important for customers so they can have a clear understanding of how long their trip is going to be," Marx says in her e-mail, noting that the scheduled "block time" for Flight 5283 has been increased for this month. "Ultimately, we share our customers' frustrations with our performance," Marx says. "Flight attendants and customer service personnel are working with individual customers to alleviate the inconveniences in any way they can."
Click on "read more" to see the complete list of the 52 most-chronically delay flights.
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Posted at 08:51 AM/ET, Dec 07, 2006 in AirTran, Airline ratings and performance, Delta, United | Permalink | Comments (14) TrackBack (0)
