It’s summertime, and the living is easy. But not if you are traveling by plane. With the number of people flying increasing dramatically in the summer, flying can become very stressful. Who needs the added stress when the very act of flying plays havoc with one’s health. These are the things that happen to your body when you fly.
In addition to the fear of flying many people have, more and more flights seem packed with passengers, who are battling for diminishing elbow room and legroom and are dealing with fees and surcharges for things like preferred seating and extra luggage. Savvy air travelers have developed strategies for getting the best deals out there. Here are 14 secrets to get the best airline ticket price possible.
Add to all that flight delays, which happen often and can certainly put a damper on the beginning or end of an otherwise perfect vacation. Based on a review of data compiled by FlightStats, which tracks monthly flight data by airline, 24/7 Wall St. has identified the airlines with the most delays.
Whether you’re flying lux with a glass of Champagne in hand or wedged between two beefy football players in economy class, you all take off and arrive at the same time. Flight delays are a fact of life of modern air travel.
When it comes to flight delays, not all air carriers are not created equally. Airlines have very different track records when it comes to delays because of their travel routes, weather, and other factors. Delays can cause travelers to miss a connecting flight, a scheduled business meetings, or simply eat away at their priceless vacation time — despite the high ticket prices the travelers paid for the promised service.
Flight problems account for the biggest percentage of problems involving air travel, which are divided into three categories — flight delays, misconnections, and cancellations. These are the biggest air travel complaints of 2018, according to a survey by the U.S. Travel Association.
Click here to see the airlines with the most delays
To identify the airlines with the most delays, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the share of total flights that were delayed for at least 15 minutes in July by airline. Only major airlines were considered. We also considered the total number of flights that were cancelled and the average length of delays in July. All data came from airline data website Flightstats.
22. China Eastern Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 35.0%
> Flights delayed in July: 72,446
> Average length of delay: 72 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
[in-text-ad]
21. China Southern Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 35.6%
> Flights delayed in July: 71,609
> Average length of delay: 77 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
20. Norwegian Air Shuttle
> Share of flights delayed in July: 35.8%
> Flights delayed in July: 11,098
> Average length of delay: 49 minutes
> Headquartered in: Norway
19. Juneyao Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 35.9%
> Flights delayed in July: 11,002
> Average length of delay: 70 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
[in-text-ad-2]
18. Beijing Capital Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 37.2%
> Flights delayed in July: 8,514
> Average length of delay: 82 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
17. Air Algerie
> Share of flights delayed in July: 37.3%
> Flights delayed in July: 6,771
> Average length of delay: 48 minutes
> Headquartered in: Algeria
[in-text-ad]
16. EasyJet
> Share of flights delayed in July: 37.3%
> Flights delayed in July: 58,635
> Average length of delay: 51 minutes
> Headquartered in: United Kingdom
24/7 Wall St.
15. EgyptAir
> Share of flights delayed in July: 37.8%
> Flights delayed in July: 7,107
> Average length of delay: 39 minutes
> Headquartered in: Egypt
14. Hainan Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 38.2%
> Flights delayed in July: 25,102
> Average length of delay: 78 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
[in-text-ad-2]
13. Vietnam Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 38.5%
> Flights delayed in July: 14,579
> Average length of delay: 40 minutes
> Headquartered in: Vietnam
12. TUI Airways
> Share of flights delayed in July: 39.7%
> Flights delayed in July: 7,829
> Average length of delay: 52 minutes
> Headquartered in: United Kingdom
[in-text-ad]
11. Air China
> Share of flights delayed in July: 40.9%
> Flights delayed in July: 43,878
> Average length of delay: 83 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
10. Thomas Cook Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 42.1%
> Flights delayed in July: 4,912
> Average length of delay: 57 minutes
> Headquartered in: United Kingdom
9. EL AL
> Share of flights delayed in July: 42.3%
> Flights delayed in July: 3,479
> Average length of delay: 50 minutes
> Headquartered in: Israel
[in-text-ad-2]
8. Saudia
> Share of flights delayed in July: 42.3%
> Flights delayed in July: 18,978
> Average length of delay: 55 minutes
> Headquartered in: Saudi Arabia
7. SpiceJet
> Share of flights delayed in July: 43.9%
> Flights delayed in July: 17,422
> Average length of delay: 72 minutes
> Headquartered in: India
[in-text-ad]
6. Shenzhen Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 44.0%
> Flights delayed in July: 23,525
> Average length of delay: 81 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
5. TAP Portugal
> Share of flights delayed in July: 46.7%
> Flights delayed in July: 12,897
> Average length of delay: 45 minutes
> Headquartered in: Portugal
4. Tianjin Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 47.0%
> Flights delayed in July: 12,469
> Average length of delay: 75 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
[in-text-ad-2]
3. Aegean Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 47.6%
> Flights delayed in July: 5,441
> Average length of delay: 38 minutes
> Headquartered in: Greece
2. Xiamen Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 51.8%
> Flights delayed in July: 21,939
> Average length of delay: 68 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
[in-text-ad]
1. China United Airlines
> Share of flights delayed in July: 54.9%
> Flights delayed in July: 6,042
> Average length of delay: 97 minutes
> Headquartered in: China
Credit card companies are handing out rewards and benefits to win the best customers. A good cash back card can be worth thousands of dollars a year in free money, not to mention other perks like travel, insurance, and access to fancy lounges. See our top picks for the best credit cards today. You won’t want to miss some of these offers.
Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
