Do later flights get cancelled more?

Research produced by travel booking site Expedia revealed that later flights are often the most problematic. In fact, flights that depart after 3pm have the highest chance of being cancelled – a 50 per cent higher chance, on average, than those that depart earlier in the day.



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In 2022, 2.7 percent of all U.S. domestic flights were canceled—the highest rates in the past decade, not counting 2020. Another 23 percent of all domestic flights were delayed, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

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BTS data from July 2021 to June 2022 shows Hawaiian performed best of all U.S. airlines with just a 0.81% cancellation rate. Delta took second place again — with a cancellation rate of 1.63%. Meanwhile, merger partners JetBlue (3.81%) and Spirit Airlines (4.11%) canceled the highest percentage of all flights.

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How the major airlines ranked for cancellations in 2022
  • Frontier Airlines – 2.87% of flights canceled.
  • Spirit Airlines – 3% of flights canceled.
  • Southwest Airlines – 3.26% of flights canceled.
  • Allegiant Air – 3.52% of flights canceled.
  • JetBlue Airways – 3.74% of flights canceled.


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Based on flight status data, flights after 3 p.m. have a 50 percent higher chance of being canceled, on average, than those that depart earlier in the day. Early morning on-time performance is all thanks to the thin air traffic.

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Perhaps even more significant is the stark drop over the past year. August 2023 U.S. airfares averaged 13% lower than what they were in August 2022. Things get especially interesting when compared to pre-pandemic prices.

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Most Punctual Airlines 2023
  • KLM (89.7%)
  • Iberia (89.6%)
  • Avianca (87.9%)
  • Japan Airlines (85.8%)
  • Air China (85.5%)


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Airlines websites — all airlines also provide information on their flight status. You can check the status of your flight by going to your airline website and entering the details of your flights, and you will know in a second if your flight is on-time, delayed or cancelled.

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Airlines are required by the U.S. Department of Transportation to refund your money if you cancel a flight within 24 hours of booking unless they offer a free 24-hour hold option when shopping for tickets.

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A flight delay is when an airline flight takes off and/or lands later than its scheduled time. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) considers a flight to be delayed when it is 15 minutes later than its scheduled time.

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Contrary to popular belief, airlines don't cancel flights just to save money, for instance if there aren't enough passengers to make it worth their while. But they do cancel flights to prevent even wider cancellations and delays.

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2023: Fall from the Peak As we left the highs of 2022 behind, a trend began emerging in flight prices. Airline tickets, especially for domestic routes, started witnessing a downward trajectory. This culminated in June 2023, with a marked drop in domestic ticket prices, offering some relief to travelers.

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Finding the cheapest day to fly usually falls mid week on Wednesdays, but can just as easily fall on any other day of the week based on demand. Time of year also is a huge factor on ticket prices, as traveling during low or off peak seasons will see prices drop for flights.

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World's Longest Flights by Distance In 2023
  1. Singapore (SIN) to New York-JFK (JFK) [SQ23/24] ...
  2. Singapore (SIN) to Newark-Liberty (EWR) [SQ22/21] ...
  3. Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) to Doha, Qatar (DOH) [QR921/920] ...
  4. Perth, Australia (PER) to London-Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR) [QF9/10] ...
  5. Dallas/Ft.


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Evidence suggests that the earlier in the day you fly, the less likely you'll be stuck with lengthy flight delays. If you do end up with time to kill because of a delay, here's how to make the most of it.

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Flight during the day is marginally safer due to the usually better visual conditions of daylight. Night conditions introduce a greater possibility of disorientation with the lack of visual cues but this is a very small factor given the competency of commercial pilots.

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Summary: Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) has the highest cancellation rate in the country for 2022: 5.55% - up from 1.43% in 2021. That's an increase of 286.77%. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City saw the largest increase in canceled flights – from 1471 in 2021 to 8795 in 2022 - a 497.89% jump.

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#1 Delta Airlines - The US' Most Reliable Airline Although Delta scored top overall, the airline is steadily in the middle of the pack for mishandled bags. They also rank among the worst for denied boarding, but the percentages are very small - 0.05% in 2022 and 0.07% in 2023.

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Lufthansa Airlines – 3.69 per cent, or 2,521 cancelled. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) – 3.4 per cent, or 812 cancelled flights. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – 2.64 per cent, or 628 cancelled flights. Germany's Eurowings – 2.47 per cent, or 835 cancelled flights.

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