As the airport chaos seen over Fourth of July, Memorial Day and even the past 2022-2023 holiday season continues to show, the dates around federal days off have become a particularly risky time to travel.
While delays and cancelations are already high amid the explosion in travel demand seen after the pandemic, the risk goes up exponentially during high-traffic periods. Data from plane tracker website FlightAware shows that more than 3,000 flights were delayed or canceled on Fourth of July this year.
Don't Miss: The government just stepped in to help airlines amid staffing crisis
According to the latest Bureau of Transportation Statistics data crunched by transportation company Price4Limo, JetBlue (JBLU) -) is the airline statistically most likely to have a delay or cancelation during the upcoming holiday weekend.
While delays are high, some airports fare better than others on the holiday weekend
Looking at data on Labor Days from 2017 to 2022, the report found that approximately 20% of departing JetBlue flights faced some sort of delay on that weekend. Across airports and airlines, the average number of flights to not depart on time was 13%.
More Travel:
- A new travel term is taking over the internet (and reaching airlines and hotels)
- The 10 best airline stocks to buy now
- Airlines see a new kind of traveler at the front of the plane
When it comes to airports, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport topped the good list with the most on-time Labor Day departures.
Puerto Rico's Luis Muñoz Martín International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, meanwhile, landed at the bottom. While only 7% of flights leaving Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on Fourth of July over the last five years faced delays, that number shot up to 18% for Newark.
Airlines with the lowest Labor Day delay rates include Hawaiian Airlines, Delta (DAL) -) and Alaska Airlines (ALK) -).
Hawaii is a good place not just for its sunny beaches, but also for the efficiency of its airports and airlines. The state's main airline had the lowest delay rate in the country with only 6% of departing flights not leaving on time.
Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines (SAVE) -) had the highest rates of canceled flights in the country. Hawaiian Airlines also had the lowest cancelation rates in the nation.
Airports with 'streamlined passenger flow, contingency plans' generally fare better
"From our findings, airports that fare better during peak times like these often have robust infrastructure, efficient staff training, and streamlined passenger flow management," Maddie Weirman of Price4Limo's creative team told TheStreet. "Moreover, some airports have better contingency plans in place to deal with unexpected challenges, such as weather disruptions or technical issues."
To better prepare for potential delays or other unforeseen problems, the authors of the study advise giving yourself more time by arriving earlier at the airport than usual. While "chancing it" and arriving just before check-in closes might have been good enough in the past, the long lines seen at many airports even during non-holiday periods make one much more likely to miss a flight.
Other suggestions include checking the airline's website or app for real-time updates and going over TSA guidelines before packing to ensure you do not set off an alarm and get delayed at security.
SEE HOW THE AIRPORTS AND AIRLINES YOU PLAN ON TAKING FARE HERE.
