These Are the Most On-Time Airlines in the United States

Hawaiian Airlines was the only U.S. carrier to receive five stars in OAG’s On-Time Performance Ratings.

© Courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Airlines is the most on-time U.S. airline.

By Lyndsey Matthews, AFAR

[post_ads]When you book a flight, you probably consider things like which airline has the best fares, the largest amount of legroom, and maybe even the best onboard wine selections. But above all else, whether or not an airline can get you to your destination on time probably matters the most to you.

OAG, a leading provider of air travel data, recently released its latest list of On-Time Performance Star Ratings, and of the 15 airlines to receive five stars, only one U.S. carrier—Hawaiian Airlines—earned a top rating. Alaska Airlines, Delta, and United all earned four-star ratings, outranking even Air New Zealand, which was named the best airline of 2018 by airlineratings.com.

Using data from June 2017 through May 2018, OAG ranked airlines with a minimum of 600 operations per month based on their on-time arrivals. According to their system, on-time arrivals were defined as ones that take place less than 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time, including cancellations. The airlines in the top 10 percent received five stars. The poorest performers received one star. The OAG gives airlines star ratings twice a year based on 12 months’ rolling performance.

Here's how each of the 13 U.S.-based carriers scored in the most recent report.

1. Hawaiian Airlines - (87.4) - 5 Stars
2. Alaska Airlines - (84.1) - 4 Stars
3. Delta Airlines - (83.8) - 4 Stars
4. United Airlines - (80.7) - 4 Stars
5. Spirit Airlines - (80.2) - 3 Stars
6. American Airlines - (79.4) - 3 Stars
7. Southwest Airlines - (78.0) - 3 Stars
8. Frontier Airlines - (77.8) - 3 Stars
9. Sun Country Airlines - (77.3) - 3 Stars
10. Allegiant Air - (76.4) - 3 Stars
11. Cape Air - (74.7) - 3 Stars
12. Silver Airways - (71.9) - 2 Stars
13. JetBlue Airways - (70.5) -2 Stars

[post_ads_2]
JetBlue, surprisingly, came in last for the U.S. airlines, with a score of 70.5 and a two-star rating. While the airline has earned high safety and product ratings on airlineratings.com, its on-time performance in the past year were likely affected after one of the four runways at JFK, its home airport, was closed for several months in 2017.

The low-cost Korean carrier, T’way Air, took the top spot overall with a score of 95.6, while more recognizable international airlines like Qantas and Qatar Airways also earned five-star ratings.

See the full list of ratings here.