Which airline has been the most reliable in 2023?
By JT Genter | NerdWallet
Although U.S. airlines this year hadn’t experienced the kinds of mass cancellations and operational breakdowns that plagued the industry in 2022, carriers continued to struggle. Part of that is due to a record number of people flying. According to data from the Transportation Security Administration, 2023 has seen some of the highest-ever single-day numbers of people passing through airport security checkpoints.
NerdWallet reviewed data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics about on-time percentages, cancellation rates, flight diversions, mishandled baggage, tarmac delays and involuntary denied boardings to determine the most reliable — and least reliable — domestic airlines in the U.S. in 2023.
Here’s a look at performance in each category of the data.
On-time percentage
On-time percentage is the headline statistic for airline performance, since whether a flight is late, and by how much, affects every passenger on the flight. The BTS defines a flight as “on time” if it arrives at the destination gate no later than 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time.