Although air travel is often seen as an exercise in frustration, federal figures released for 2012 show airlines posted their best on-time performance in nine years, with Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways both near the top of the rankings.
The nation’s 15 largest airlines had an overall 81.9 percent on-time arrival rate in 2012, the third best year on record, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.. But the year ended on a difficult month for air travel, including a Christmas storm that led to hundreds of flight delays and cancellations at Dallas-Fort Worth and in other regions..
Overall for the full year, U.S. airlines posted the lowest rate of mishandled bags on record with 3.09 mishandled bags reported per 1,000 passengers, down from 3.35 in 2011, and a total of 42 lengthy tarmac delays, down from 50 in 2011.
Atlanta-based Delta ranked 4th among 15 carriers with an 86.5 percent on-time arrival rate in 2012 , behind smaller carriers Hawaiian, Alaska and AirTran Airways, Delta’s top rival in Atlanta.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood attributed the improvements across the industry “both to the hard work of the airlines and the Department of Transportation’s oversight of the industry,” according to a written statement. “We will continue to work with the carriers to make air travel more convenient and hassle-free for customers.”
The year-end report also showed Delta reported 10 deaths of pets it carried last year, making up one-third of the total reported by all airlines. United reported the most pet deaths with a total of 12.
