Frontier Airlines topped a list for the fewest customer complaints and most flight completions in July, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In the monthly Air Travel Consumer report that tracks cancellations, delays and complaints, Denver-based Frontier led 18 other major airlines when it came to canceling the fewest flights — 17 out of 9,328. It was the 14th consecutive month Frontier has led the industry in completion factor.
Frontier had the fifth-best on-time performance, at 81.6 percent. Delta’s regional subsidiary Comair had the worst on-time performance, at 63.31 percent. United was third-worst, at 68.25 percent.
Overall, the nation’s airlines were on time more often in July compared with a year ago, and customers filed fewer complaints about their baggage, the agency said. Frontier ranked fifth in baggage performance.
“For any airline to perform like this under the best of circumstances would be impressive,” Frontier chief operating officer Chris Collins said in a written statement. “But when you consider the challenges our employees have faced with our Chapter 11 reorganization, this is truly something to be proud of.”
In July, the airlines filing on-time performance data reported that 7.8 percent of their flights were delayed by aviation-system delays, 7.2 percent by late-arriving aircraft, 6.3 percent by factors within the airline’s control such as maintenance or crew problems and 1 percent by extreme weather, the government said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kimberly S. Johnson: 303-954-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com
Flight-cancellation rates
United Airlines tied at second-worst and Frontier was the best in July, when 1.7% of flights were canceled:
1. Comair 4.5
2. United 3.2
2. JetBlue 3.2
4. Atlantic Southeast 2.7
4. Hawaiian 2.7
6. American Eagle 2.5
7. Mesa 2.3
7. Delta 2.3
9. US Airways 1.7
10. American 1.5
11. Express Jet 1.3
11. Pinnacle 1.3
11. Skywest 1.3
14. Airtran 1.2
15. Continental 1.1
