Flight punctuality is falling on major US airlines, but so is the number of traveler complaints.
During 2013, 78.3% flights arrived on time under Department of Transportation time-keeping rules, a drop of 3.6% compared to 2012.
The final month of the year proved most painful for air travelers with just 68.9% of flights landing within 14 minutes of the scheduled arrival time in December.
December 2013 was plagued by weather-related cancelations and flight delays at major air hubs.
Chicago was hardest hit on December 8, with nine flights suffering delays of over three hours during heavy snow and freezing temperatures.
The DOT also said the number of complaints dropped by 14.1% last year to 13,168.
Complaints sent to and recorded by the DOT cover flight delays and cancelations, lost baggage, misleading advertising, discrimination and pricing issues.
Southwest Airlines maintained its top ranking for the lowest number of customer complaints despite only 57.7% of flights arriving on time in December.
The carrier came in 12th out of the 16 major US airlines rated on punctuality for the year.
The best performing airline in 2013 was Hawaiian Airlines, keeping its top spot with 92.4% of on-time arrivals, thanks to the moderate Pacific climate it operates in.
