Airports On Time Performance Records

The number of airlines arriving on time has gone down to 71 percent so far in 2007, the lowest level since the Department of Transportation starting tracking performance 20 years ago.

Airlines are flying more jammed packed than ever before. The airport system is so stressed, and that is impacting consumers everyday.

Which airports should you avoid? Using data from the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, we feature some of the worst and best airports as it relates to on time performance. The lower the number, the better the airport.

Most Miserable Airports

Rank (out of 47)
Airport City Pct. flights delayed Average load
47 DTW Detroit 39.0 76.9
46 ORD Chicago (O’Hare) 42.3 75.8
45 CLT Charlotte, N.C. 38.8 76.0
44 JFK (Kennedy) 42.4 75.4
43 EWR Newark, N.J. 39.0 75.7

Least Miserable Airports

Rank Airport City Pct. flights delayed Average load
1 OAK Oakland, Calif. 19.5 67.4
2 HOU Houston (Hobby) 22.3 57.6
3 SJC San Jose, Calif. 17.6 69.4
4 DAL Dallas (Love Field) 22.6 62.7
5 STL St. Louis, Mo. 23.5 64.6

Smaller airports can be a better option. The trick, by the way, is that there are very few nonstop flights from regional airports, and traveling to a lot of destinations requires a connection. But some non-stops flights and dirt cheap airline tickets can be found, the smaller the airport, the easier the trip.

In Houston, on-time performance is basically identical at both local airports, Hobby and Intercontinental. But flights leaving Hobby are generally about 58 percent full, when you compared a 79 percent load factor on planes flying out of Intercontinental.

When connecting flights, which hub you fly through is key. Airlines do their best to match fares–but don’t expect similar experience at hub airports. If you can pick between flights that go through either Charlotte or Memphis, for example, choose Memphis: On-time rates in Memphis is 14 percentage points higher and jets are less crowded, too.

Baltimore is a cool connecting hub, with 77 percent of flights arriving as schedule, and load factors below 70 percent. Newark is not good at all, mostly thanks to busy airways around New York; only 61 percent of flights leave on time, and planes are 76 percent jammed.

And if you can: Stay away from O’Hare. Only 58 percent of their planes depart on time and flights are 76 percent jammed.

Chicago OHare nonstop flights