Southwest Airlines posts poor on-time rate - azcentral.com

The airline industry turned in a strong on-time performance in September but Southwest Airlines didn’t help the cause.

The Dallas carrier posted an on-time arrival rate of 76.28 percent, its worst September showing in more than a dozen years and several points below the industry average of 83.83 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s monthly Air Travel Consumer Report, out Wednesday.

Southwest ranked No. 16 of 16 carriers, the first time it has come in last since the current reporting system began in 1995, according to Dave Smallen, spokesman for the DOT's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

In August, the airline was almost in the cellar, ranking next to last, with an on-time arrival rate of 73.8 percent. A flight is considered on time if it arrives within 14 minutes of the scheduled time.

Southwest, which has nearly 170 daily flights from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and carries more than one in three local passengers, posted an on-time arrival rate in Phoenix of 75.2 percent, vs. an airport average of 85.1 percent. Only Frontier Airlines and Alaska Airlines were less punctual.

The airline blamed its poor performance on unusual weather in the eastern half of the United States and a change in its flight schedule, which it is re-evaluating.

“We are aware of the pain points (for customers) and are working on schedule tweaks that will improve our performance in the next few months,” spokeswoman Brandy King said via e-mail.

Year to date, Southwest ranks No. 10 of 16 carriers, with an on-time arrival rate of 78.29 percent. Last year, it ranked No. 8 for the full year. As recently as 2009, it was in second place.

Southwest was the on-time champion for several years running — a showing it regularly bragged about — but its performance has slipped as it has expanded into congested airports it previously avoided. The airline still ranks at the top of the industry for its long-term on-time performance, with an on-time rate of 81.9 percent between 1987 and now, according to the DOT.

The leader in on-time performance in September was perennial winner Hawaiian Airlines, with an on-time arrival rate of 95.47 percent. Delta Air Lines also cracked 90 percent to come in second. Tempe-based US Airways ranked fourth with an on-time rate of 88.28 percent. US Airways employees will get a $50 bonus in part based on the airline’s on-time performance for the month.

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