When it comes to issues that can arise during the travel process, flight delays and luggage issues consistently frustrate travelers the most.
Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows that the number of delays has also increased steadily amid the growing number of travelers after the pandemic. While only 18.8 percent of flights into or out of the U.S. were delayed in 2019, that figure rose to 20.8 percent of flights by the end of 2023.
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Across the Atlantic, the UK's Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) has published figures on the airlines with the highest and highest number of delays globally. While the average delay in 2023 lasted 20 minutes and 30 seconds (compared to 23 seconds in 2022), Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air (WZZAF) he topped the list with an average of 31 minutes and 36 seconds.
This airline has the most (and longest) delays.
The low-cost airline, which travelers often use for short flights between nearby European cities, acknowledged that despite making “significant improvements” to its service in 2024, it still has “work to do” to reduce that figure.
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With an average of 28 minutes and 26 seconds, Turkish Airlines took second place, while German holiday airline Tui came in third with 28 minutes and 24 seconds. Other not-so-enviable first-place finishers include Air India (28 minutes and 12 seconds), Pegasus Airlines (25 minutes and six seconds) and Air Portugal (23 minutes and 48 seconds).
No US-based airlines made the top 10, while American Airlines (AAL) He obtained the highest score with 18 minutes and 48 seconds (16th place in the world). Air Canada (ACDVF) was the worst North American airline in terms of delays, with an average of 22 minutes and six seconds, while the British companies British Airways and EasyJet (EJTTF) They obtained tenth and eleventh place, respectively.
Despite being one of the most popular airlines in Europe, WizzAir occupies the worst position in the world in terms of delays for the third consecutive year: in 2021 it obtained the questionable first place for the first time.
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“There can be no justification for airlines to fail to comply with their legal obligations”
While the exact figures and periods after which one will be entitled to compensation for a delay differ between the US and the UK, the high figures on some airlines in particular have motivated some lawmakers and airline advocates. travelers' rights to lobby to improve the app. In the US, airlines they have been fighting 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 not surprise travelers, who find themselves in the scandalous position of paying record amounts for airfares and, in return, receiving unreliable services,” Rory Borland, editor of the travel magazine, said in a statement. Which? Travel. statement on the CAA's findings: “Where delays and cancellations occur, there can be no justification for airlines not to meet their legal obligations, including promptly refunding or rerouting customers, and ensuring that offer them meals and lodging as needed.
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