Memorial Day weekend is one of the year’s busiest travel periods, with millions of Americans taking to the skies for a well-deserved break. This increased flight demand can lead to delays and cancellations, causing frustration for travelers. To help you make informed decisions when booking your Memorial Day travel, we analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report to identify the best and worst airlines to rely on during this hectic holiday weekend.
In this article, we reveal the top-performing airlines, the carriers to avoid, and the best and worst times to fly to minimize the risk of delays. By the end, you’ll be ready to plan the least stressful Memorial Day getaway possible.
Key Takeaways
- Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Delta Air Lines are the best airlines to fly during Memorial Day weekend as they have the fewest departure delays.
- Virgin Atlantic, Frontier Airlines, and JetBlue Airways are the worst airlines to fly during Memorial Day weekend as they have the most departure delays.
- Early morning flights generally have the best on-time departure performance. Flights scheduled between 6-7 a.m. across various airports have high on-time percentages, with most airports as high as 96.4%.
- Afternoon and early evening flights generally have the worst on-time departure performance. Flights between 2-3 p.m. tend to have lower on-time percentages, with some airports dipping as low as 64.8%.
Flight Delays by Airline
- The airlines with the lowest percentage of delays during Memorial Weekend are Hawaiian Airlines (10%), Alaska Airlines (11%), and Delta Air Lines (14%).
- The airlines with the highest percentage of delays during Memorial Weekend are Virgin Atlantic (29%), Frontier Airlines (23%), and JetBlue Airways (23%).
Delayed and On-Time Departures by Airport
- The airports with the highest percentage of on-time departures during Memorial Day Weekend are:
- Salt Lake City, UT: SLC (87.5%)
- Seattle, WA: SEA (86.1%)
- Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN: MSP (85.8%)
- The airports with the highest percentage of delayed departures during Memorial Day Weekend are:
- San Francisco, CA: SFO (27.8%)
- Newark, NJ: EWR (23.7%)
- Boston, MA: BOS (22.6%)
Best and Worst Times To Fly
- Early morning flights generally have the best on-time departure performance. Flights scheduled between 6-7 a.m. across various airports have high on-time percentages, with most airports as high as 96.4%.
- Afternoon and early evening flights generally have the worst on-time departure performance. Flights between 2-3 p.m. tend to have lower on-time percentages, with some airports dipping as low as 64.8%.
Methodology
All data was collected from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report, covering Memorial Day Weekend air travel from 2015-2023. We compared average departure delays among the top 10 commercial airlines. We also analyzed delayed and on-time flight departures from 406 U.S. airports.
About JW Surety Bonds
JW Surety Bonds is a leading provider of surety bond solutions for businesses and individuals across industries. We excel in providing Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC) bonds and Seller of Travel bonds to help travel agencies meet financial and legal requirements that protect consumers. Our excellent customer service and user-friendly online platform help clients get the bonds they need fast and in compliance with state and federal regulations.
Fair Use Statement
You can use this content for noncommercial purposes by including a citation link.
Leave a Reply