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Has the government “ended” chronically delayed flights?

December 3, 2007

If you believe everything you read, you’ll welcome today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation that it has effectively ended the problem of chronically delayed flights. Following an investigation earlier this year that resulted in 183 frequently-delayed flights being written up by the DOT, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced that “tough scrutiny and a willingness to impose serious penalties have caused the airlines to correct these chronically delayed flights.”

But then, you probably don’t believe everything you read. Otherwise you wouldn’t be on this blog.

The government says there are only 183 “chronically delayed” flights, which it defines as flights that were more than 15 minutes late, more than 70 percent of the time. Does that definition seem a little generous to the airlines? An air carrier could negligently run flights that are more than 15 minutes late 69 percent of the time, and escape the wrath of the feds.

Not good. I don’t need to call our number-crunching friends at Flightstats to know that there are thousands of flights that the average Joe would consider chronically late.

The government also says that it gave these airlines — which it declines to name — three months to get their act together. If they didn’t, the government added, “they would face financial penalties of up to $25,000 per violation.”

Do you know any other business that is given an entire quarter to stop violating the law? Neither do I.

The DOT release continues:

By the end of September none of the chronically delayed flights from the first two quarters were chronically delayed in the third quarter. In addition, the investigation found that airlines are now monitoring chronically delayed flights more closely, and are taking a number of steps to correct chronically delayed flights.

So let’s see if I understand this. The government targets a handful of flights operated by airlines to which it offers anonymity and then gives them months to do the right thing. Then it issues a self-congratulatory press release declaring a victory for consumers.

Sorry. Not buying it.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

6 comments

  • Joe F.

    The simplest solution for the airline is add the average delay onto the expected flight time. If your flight from LGA-ORD is scheduled at 5.30pm with an arrival in Chicago of 7.15 CST, an your average delay is 45 min – you change your arrival time to 8pm central, and, voila, no more delay. This way you keep your departure time at the ‘preferred’ top dollar business traveler departure time – and they still get in ‘on time.’

    Boy, I am cynical, huh?

  • Christopher Elliott

    That’s called padding the schedule, and the airlines already do it, unfortunately.

  • Drew

    Joe–
    I think they already do this in some markets…
    I fly the Delta Monterey, CA to Salt Lake City flight on a very regular basis (I think I’ve flown it 35-40 times this year), and I know that it takes 1:26, gate-to-gate. There is occasionally some variance, like 1:30 or 1:21, but it usually takes right around 1:26. However, if you look at Delta’s timetable, this flight is allotted 1:50, and we are always 20-25 minutes early….

    In addition, flying United from Washington-Dulles to San Francisco, CA. We were delayed in departing by 45 minutes due to a weight distribution problem. However, we still managed to get to San Francisco 15 minutes early! Go figure!

  • Joe F.

    I know they”re padding the schedule- in the case of the chronically delays flights – they just did it some more.

    Actually – thats exactly what happened. One of the 183 chronically delayed flights was a second section [meaning they added a flight to handle demand] from LGA to ORD. It had a 5.40pm departure time. Arrival in ORD was set for 8.16pm. That’s 3 hours and 36 minutes for a what is in reality 1hr and about 55min in summer and 2hr 5′/10′ in winter.

    I’d bet thats how they ‘fixed’ the chronically delays flights – either that – or they changed the flight number . . . which is even more cynicism talking.

  • Nikki

    Call me optimistic but I personnally don’t mind if the schedule is padded. At least that way I avoid two of the things I hate most while traveling: arriving at my destination later than scheduled (which leads to all sorts of adjustments) and missing a connection or, just as bad, running from one end of an airport to the other in *hopes* that I make it. Also, in general if the flight is early, it gives the ground crew more time to route luggage, which means I don’t have to file a missing luggage report when I get to the other end.

  • Joer

    From what I understand, the way some of the airlines fixed the chronically delayed flights was to change their flight numbers.

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