As we head into the busy holiday travel season we thought it would be helpful to look at ways to make your journey easier. Flight delays are not fun so if possible it’s good to avoid or at least be prepared for the most stressful airports in America.
Flight delays and cancellations happen for many reasons; maintenance problems, the late arrival on inbound aircraft, crew issues, airport back ups and especially weather. Looking at which airports usually suffer the most delays and then knowing what to do in case you are delayed or cancelled can go a long way in reducing holiday travel blues.
Dealing With Flight Delays
Each airline has its own flight delay policy for passengers waiting at the airport; there are no federal requirements. Travelers concerned about delays should be aware of the following:
- Generally, early departures are less likely to be delayed.
- Book a non-stop flight (no stops).
- When booking, ask the airline about the on-time performance percentage for an individual flight.
- Closer to departure, check real-time airport data. This will provide timely information on weather concerns or air traffic delays.
- Be aware of “creeping delays.” This is when an airline continues to push back a departure time it can sometimes be extended for hours or lead to a cancellation.
- If a flight is delayed, try to learn the reason why to better gauge if the flight is in jeopardy of being canceled. Reasons for delays may include maintenance, fueling, crew issues, weather, previous flight with the same aircraft arrived late, causing the present flight to depart late, or security issues.
- Some flights will be delayed on the tarmac before or after take-off. As a general rule, DOT prohibits flights to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours.
InsureMyTrip, a US based travel insurance company, ranked the flight cancellation rate per airport to determine which airports had the most cancellations year to date to determine the most stressful airports in America. Here’s the list.
|
Rank/Code |
City/Airport |
|
1. LGA |
New York, NY: LaGuardia (Worst) |
|
2. ORF |
Norfolk, VA: Norfolk International |
|
3. CHS |
Charleston, SC: Charleston AFB/International |
|
4. ROC |
Rochester, NY: Greater Rochester International |
|
5. PHL |
Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia International |
|
6. EWR |
Newark, NJ: Newark Liberty International |
|
7. PVD |
Providence, RI: Theodore Francis Green State |
|
8. DCA |
Washington, DC: Ronald Reagan Washington National |
|
9. BUF |
Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Niagara International |
|
10. JFK |
New York, NY: John F. Kennedy International |
|
11. BOS |
Boston, MA: Logan International |
|
12. BDL |
Hartford, CT: Bradley International |
|
13. RDU |
Raleigh/Durham, NC: Raleigh-Durham International |
|
14. RIC |
Richmond, VA: Richmond International |
|
15. CLT |
Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Douglas International |
|
16. MDW |
Chicago, IL: Chicago Midway International |
|
17. BWI |
Baltimore, MD: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall |
|
18. GRR |
Grand Rapids, MI: Gerald R. Ford International |
|
19. ORD |
Chicago, IL: Chicago O’Hare International |
|
20. CLE |
Cleveland, OH: Cleveland-Hopkins International |
|
21. CMH |
Columbus, OH: John Glenn Columbus International |
|
22. PIT |
Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh International |
|
23. SDF |
Louisville, KY: Louisville International-Standiford Field |
|
24. CVG |
Cincinnati, OH: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International |
|
25. JAX |
Jacksonville, FL: Jacksonville International |
