When it comes to issues that may arise during the travel process, flight delays and problems with baggage consistently rank as the ones that frustrate travelers most.
Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows that the number of delays has also risen steadily amid the skyrocketing numbers of travelers post-pandemic. While only 18.8 percent of flights within or leaving from the U.S. were delayed in 2019, that number rose to 20.8 percent of flights by the end of 2023.
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Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) has released numbers looking at airlines with the largest and longest numbers of delays globally. While the average delay in 2023 lasted 20 minutes and 30 seconds (down from 23 seconds in 2022), Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air (WZZAF) topped the list with a 31-minute and 36-second average.
This airline has the most (and longest) delays
The budget airline, which travelers commonly use for short flights between nearby European cities, acknowledged that despite making “significant improvements” to its service in 2024, it still has “work to be done” to bring that number down.
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With an average of 28 minutes and 26 seconds, Turkish Airlines scored second place while German holiday airline Tui came third with 28 minutes and 24 seconds. Others to score less-than-enviable top spots include Air India (28 minutes and 12 seconds), Pegasus Airlines (25 minutes and six seconds) and Air Portugal (23 minutes and 48 seconds).
Not a single U.S.-based airline landed in the top 10 while American Airlines (AAL) scored the highest with 18 minutes and 48 seconds (16th place globally.) Air Canada (ACDVF) was the worst North American airline when it comes to delays with a 22 minute and six second average while British carriers British Airways and EasyJet (EJTTF) scored tenth and eleventh, respectively.
Despite the fact that it is one of the most popular airlines in Europe, WizzAir ranked worst in the world when it comes to delays for the third year in a row — it first earned the questionable top spot in 2021.
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‘There can be no justification for airlines failing to meet their legal obligations’
While the exact numbers and periods after which one will be entitled to compensation for a delay differ between the U.S. and the UK, the high numbers in some airlines in particular have motivated some lawmakers and traveler rights’ advocates to push for better enforcement. In the U.S., airlines have been fighting back the Biden Administration’s recent efforts to enact legislation that would require them to give passengers automatic cash refunds for delayed or canceled flights.
"These latest delay figures will come as no surprise to travelers, who find themselves in the outrageous position of paying record amounts for air fares and in return receiving unreliable services,” Rory Borland, who heads the travel magazine Which? Travel, said in a statement on the CAA findings. “When delays and cancelations do occur, there can be no justification for airlines failing to meet their legal obligations — including promptly refunding or rerouting customers, and ensuring they are offered meals and accommodation as required.”
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