Despite improving official statistics on flight punctuality, flying in America has become slower for passengers. According to a recent report, airlines are padding their flight schedules to account for potential delays, resulting in longer travel times for passengers.
The report, conducted by airline data analytics firm OAG, found that flight times on major US airlines have increased by an average of 8% since 2015. This means that a flight that was scheduled to take two hours five years ago may now take over two hours and 10 minutes, even though the distance has not changed.
This trend is known as “schedule creep” and is a common practice among airlines to improve on-time performance. By adding buffer time to flight schedules, airlines are able to reduce the likelihood of flights being delayed and improve their statistics that are reported to regulators and customers.
However, this practice has resulted in longer travel times for passengers and has highlighted the disconnect between official statistics and the actual passenger experience. While airlines may be meeting their on-time performance targets, passengers are spending more time in the air due to these inflated schedules.
Experts suggest that the increase in flight times could also be attributed to other factors, such as congested air traffic and airport infrastructure limitations. As a result, the travel experience for passengers has become slower and less efficient, despite the airlines’ efforts to improve their punctuality rates.
Overall, the data shows that flying in America has become slower for passengers, highlighting the need for airlines and regulators to address these issues and improve the overall travel experience.
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