Here’s an early Christmas present from our friends at the United States Department of Transportation. This morning, the government released a list of chronically late flights for the third quarter of 2007. Better check this one twice before your next trip, because a lot of airlines have been very, very naughty, if these numbers are to be believed.
The worst offender? According to the DOT, it’s Delta. Among the 10-most delayed flights, the top six either belonged to Delta or one of its regional carriers, Comair or Atlantic Southeast. The worst was Delta’s flight 1667 from New York to Orlando, which was delayed 94 percent of the time, with an average delay of 95 minutes.
Here’s the top 10 list of flights by percent not on-time (number delayed includes cancelled and diverted flights). A flight is considered delayed when it arrived 15 or more minutes later than the schedule:
| Carrier | Flight Number | Origin | Dest | Scheduled Departure Time | Percent Not On-Time | Average Minutes of Delay (Late flights only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Delta | 1667 | JFK | MCO | 1942 | 94.12 | 95.13 |
| 2. SkyWest | 4020 | SLC | MEM | 1918 | 93.33 | 47.86 |
| 3. Atlantic Southeast | 4525 | ATL | GNV | 1555 | 90.20 | 74.26 |
| 4. Delta | 866 | LAX | MSY | 1130 | 89.36 | 48.05 |
| 5. Atlantic Southeast | 4178 | ATL | TRI | 1600 | 88.24 | 59.00 |
| 6. Comair | 5513 | BOS | JFK | 1520 | 88.24 | 76.69 |
| 7. AirTran | 245 | ATL | MIA | 2115 | 87.50 | 56.80 |
| 8. Southwest | 1641 | MDW | OMA | 2000 | 85.11 | 78.05 |
| 9. American | 585 | MIA | SJU | 1950 | 84.85 | 82.63 |
| 10. American | 882 | MIA | JFK | 1755 | 84.85 | 109.50 |
What does all of this mean? That despite the government’s insistence to the contrary, flights are still running late. Very late.
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.

Elliott is consumer advocate
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