A new study has revealed the US airlines most likely to cancel your flight, with Frontier Airlines taking the top spot.
Business and marketing experts QR Code Generator analysed data from the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics to find the number of cancelled flights per US airline between August 2023 and July 2024. This figure was weighed against the total number of arranged/scheduled flights to calculate the percentage of cancelled flights during the 12 months. The airlines with the highest percentage of cancelled flights determined the ranking.
Frontier Airlines ranks top, with 2.22% of scheduled flights being cancelled between August 2023 and July 2024. The airline had a total of 200,296 arranged flights during the 12 months, with 4,443 of them getting cancelled. Frontier Airlines recorded 56,618 delayed flights (equating to 28.27%) and 318 diversions over the year.
Endeavor Air ranks second, with a flight cancellation rate of 2.21% between August 2023 and July 2024. Out of a total of 203,418 arranged flights, Endeavor Air cancelled 4,491 during the year. The airline recorded 417 diversions over the 12 months, as well as 29,752 delayed flights, equating to 14.63%.
Third in the ranking is Mesa Airlines, with cancelled flights equating to 2.10% between August 2023 and July 2024. Mesa Airlines cancelled 1,914 flights from a total of 90,957 scheduled. Over the course of the year, the airline recorded 294 diversions and 19,324 (21.25%) delayed flights.
GoJet Airlines comes in fourth, with 2.00% of scheduled flights being cancelled between August 2023 and July 2024. The airline had a total of 48,997 arranged flights during the 12 months, with 979 of them getting cancelled. GoJet Airlines recorded 7,008 delayed flights (equating to 14.30%) and 117 diversions over the year.
Tying for fifth are CommuteAir and Republic Airways, with a flight cancellation rate of 1.98% between August 2023 and July 2024. Out of a total of 68,794 arranged flights, CommuteAir cancelled 1,363 during the year. The airline recorded 202 diversions over the 12 months, as well as 10,630 delayed flights, equating to 15.45%. Republic Airways cancelled 5,638 flights out of 285,131 scheduled, and recorded 589 diversions and 35,114 delays, equating to 12.32%.
Alaska Airlines comes in sixth, with cancelled flights equating to 1.81% between August 2023 and July 2024. Alaska Airlines cancelled 4,427 flights from a total of 244,375 scheduled. Over the course of the year, the airline recorded 685 diversions and 49,851 (20.40%) delayed flights.
Seventh on the list is Spirit Airlines, with 1.63% of scheduled flights being cancelled between August 2023 and July 2024. The airline had a total of 268,322 arranged flights during the 12 months, with 4,386 of them getting cancelled. Spirit Airlines recorded 67,892 delayed flights (equating to 25.30%) and 522 diversions over the year.
In eighth place is United Airlines,with a flight cancellation rate of 1.55% between August 2023 and July 2024. Out of a total of 747,315 arranged flights, United Airlines cancelled 11,578 during the year. The airline recorded 1,945 diversions over the 12 months, as well as 140,458 delayed flights, equating to 18.80%.
PSA Airlines ranks ninth, with cancelled flights equating to 1.46% between August 2023 and July 2024. PSA Airlines cancelled 3,024 flights from a total of 207,629 scheduled. Over the course of the year, the airline recorded 517 diversions and 40,358 (19.44%) delayed flights.
Landing the tenth spot is JetBlue Airways, with 1.42% of scheduled flights being cancelled between August 2023 and July 2024. The airline had a total of 250,887 arranged flights during the 12 months, 3,569 of them getting cancelled. JetBlue Airways recorded 69,888 delayed flights (equating to 27.86%) and 979 diversions over the year.
Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, commented on the findings: “Both frequent flyers and occasional travellers deserve reliability when booking a flight. Although the rate of cancellations isn’t drastic for any airline, nobody wants to risk missing a trip. By highlighting the airlines most prone to cancelling flights, we can help people make informed travel decisions and reduce potential inconvenience and stress.”
