Airlines' On-Time Performance Improves

The nation’s largest airlines had a higher rate of on-time flights this past February than in either February of last year or in January 2009, the Department of Transportation said.

The 19 carriers covered in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics report posted an overall on-time arrival rate of 82.6 percent in February, compared to February 2008’s 68.6 percent and January 2009’s 77.0 percent.

In February, 43.31 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, compared to February 2008, when 46.92 percent of late flights were delayed by weather, and January when 43.61 percent of late flights were delayed by weather.

The U.S. carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 3.56 reports per 1,000 passengers in February, an improvement over both February 2008’s rate of 6.41 and January 2009’s 5.20 rate.

The department said it received 576 complaints about airline service from consumers in February, down 38.5 percent from the 937 complaints filed in February 2008 and 34.8 percent fewer than the total of 884 complaints received in January 2009.