Last Updated
Air travel in the United States and the rest of the world has had a rough summer, with some airports even capping the number of flights allowed per day. Demand has skyrocketed after years of being unable to travel due to the pandemic. Now that the world is easing restrictions and opening back up, travelers are desperate for a taste of freedom again. Unfortunately, the aviation industry has struggled to meet the overwhelming demand due to staffing shortages. As a result, delays, cancellations, and lost luggage have plagued travelers all summer. Using data from aviation analytics company OAG, we have determined the U.S. airlines with the most delays and cancellations for July.
According to OAG, gate arrival times within 15 minutes of their originally scheduled arrivals are considered on time. Similarly, as long as a plane departs within a 15-minute window of its originally scheduled departure time, it would be regarded as an on-time departure. Keeping this in mind, the following U.S. airlines had the most delays for July.
Top 5 U.S. Airlines With The Most Delays In July
- Allegiant Air – 39% of Flights Delayed (4,811 Total Flights Delayed)
- JetBlue Airways – 35% of Flights Delayed (10,142 Total Flights Delayed)
- Southwest Airlines – 32% of Flights Delayed (39,187 Total Flights Delayed)
- Frontier Airlines – 28% of Flights Delayed (4,048 Total Flights Delayed)
- American Airlines – 27% of Flights Delayed (47,170 Total Flights Delayed)
Have Delays Gotten Any Better?
Yes and no. The airlines above ranked against each other in about the same order in June. However, each airline’s percentage of flights that were delayed has started to decline, with the exception of Southwest. Although it did improve, Allegiant Air has claimed the title for most delays from a U.S. airline for two months in a row. In June, Allegiant Air had 41% of their flights delayed. Jetblue was also the 2nd worst for delays in June, with 39% of their flights delayed. Frontier and Southwest were nearly tied at 30.7% and 30.4%, respectively. Finally, American had 29.2% of their flights delayed in June.
Most Improved From June to July for Delays
- JetBlue Airways – 4% Improvement
- Frontier Airlines – 2.7% Improvement
- American Airlines – 2.2% Improvement
- Allegiant Air – 2% Improvement
- Southwest Airlines – 1.6% Worse
Top 5 U.S. Airlines With The Most Cancellations In July
Delays aren’t ideal when trying to get away on a much-needed holiday, but cancelations can completely ruin a trip. The U.S. airlines with the most cancellations for July don’t follow the same trend as delays, with Southwest and Frontier not even making the top 5.
- American Airlines – 2.4% of Flights Canceled (4,240 Total Flights Canceled)
- United Airlines – 2.4% of Flights Canceled (3,075 Total Flights Canceled)
- Allegiant Air – 1.9% of Flights Canceled (237 Total Flights Canceled)
- Delta Airlines – 1.7% of Flights Canceled (2,376 Total Flights Canceled)
- JetBlue Airways – 1.6% of Flights Canceled (469 Total Flights Canceled)
Have Cancelations Gotten Any Better?
Cancelations have improved between July and August, with each airline making improvements throughout the month of July. American was the worst airline for cancelations for both months, with 4.3% of its flights canceled in June. Allegiant trailed close behind at 4%, followed by Delta at 3.7%, United at 3.3%, and JetBlue at 2.9%. As demand for travel continues to ease as fall looms, the downward trend in cancelations is likely to continue.
Most Improved From June to July for Cancelations
- Allegiant Air – 2.1% Improvement
- Delta Airlines – 2% Improvement
- American Airlines – 1.9% Improvement
- JetBlue Airways – 1.3% Improvement
- United Airlines – .9% Improvement
As travelers continue to navigate the chaos seen this summer, it is important to know their passenger rights, tips for making it through the chaos, and how to minimize their chances of losing luggage. From the data above, things seem to be improving slightly. However, travelers should still take precautions as airlines struggle to keep up.
↓ Elevate Your Travel↓
Sign Up Now For Travel Off Path Premium! No ads, VIP Content, Personal Travel Concierge, Huge Savings, Daily Deals, Members Forum & More!
✈️Join Our Travel Off Path Community Forum: Where travelers unite, ask questions, share experiences and even find like-minded travel buddies!
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LATEST POSTS
Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Path's latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.