The chances of your airline being on time have improved but odds of getting kicked off a flight even if you have a ticket have gotten worse, according to the US government.
The US Transportation Department said that the airlines averaged an 80 percent on-time arrival rate in March, better than February of this year.
“Chances increased for getting kicked off a flight even though you held a confirmed reservation because the airline sold too many tickets,” said the AP.
“For the first three months of this year, the airlines bumped 23,380 passengers, or 1.73 for every 10,000 travelers. That rate is more than one-fourth higher than in the first quarter of 2009,” the wire service reported.
Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines had the best on-time ratings. JetBlue had the worst, followed by ExpressJet and American Airlines.
JetBlue spokeswoman Alison Croyle said the airline was hurt by its heavy concentration of flights in the crowded New York area and by runway work that reduced capacity at New York’s JFK International Airport.
And lost bags?
Getting better. The airlines reported that one in every 269 passengers had a lost, damaged, delayed or stolen bag. That was better than the same month last year.
By David Wilkening
