U. S.

U. S. airlines have been facing increasing criticism and complaints, with a record-breaking 66,675 customer complaints in 2024 alone. According to the U. S. PIRG Education Fund, these complaints have continued to rise since the pandemic, ranging from lost luggage and refund disputes to flight delays. The ongoing government shutdown has only added to these issues, resulting in billions of dollars in losses for the U. S. tourism industry. Despite efforts to improve customer satisfaction, reliability remains a major challenge for the airline industry.

On-Time Performance Rates Fall Below Industry Standards

Recent data from the U. S. Department of Transportation shows that the majority of U. S. carriers have an on-time performance rate of only 72% to 78%, which is considered mid-tier or average. Hawaiian Airlines is the only carrier with a top-tier score of 82. 5%. This leaves the worst U. S. airline for flight delays at the lowest tier.

These statistics do not take into account the disruptions caused by the ongoing government shutdown, which has resulted in further delays and cancellations. Read on to discover which airlines and airports to avoid in 2025 in order to minimize flight delays.

U. S.

Based on data from the DOT, the average on-time rates of U. S. airlines from January to July 2025 were calculated. Frontier Airlines has the highest percentage of delayed flights at 68. 8%, followed by American Airlines Network at 72. 4% and JetBlue Airways at 72. 6%. Frontier Airlines has consistently ranked the lowest in on-time performance, with a low of 59. 5% in June of this year.

Airline

Average Delay %

Frontier Airlines

31.

American Airlines Network

27.

JetBlue Airways

27.

Frontier Airlines, as an Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier (ULCC), often experiences domino-effect delays due to its high daily aircraft utilization and short, consecutive routes. This means that even a minor delay on one flight can cause a series of delays on subsequent flights. American Airlines Network and JetBlue Airways face challenges due to their large networks and focus on congested airspace, with JetBlue’s main hubs at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).

Frontier Airlines CEO Blames Private Jets for Flight Delays

Recently, Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle received criticism for blaming private jets for causing commercial flight delays and cancellations in a LinkedIn post. Other aviation executives called out Biffle for not acknowledging his company’s own failures. CEO of personal air limo company Hopscotch Air, Andrew Schmertz, pointed out that Frontier Airlines did not have realistic schedules and that smaller aircraft are not given priority, as Biffle claimed.