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Dallas airport logs one of the worst flight delay records in America

Passengers at this airport collectively waited more than 800 years for their departing flight in 2018.

Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images

If your upcoming travel plans include a flight out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, you might want to charge your electronics and bring a book to read. A new study from personal finance website FinanceBuzz comparing departure delays at the 25 busiest airports in the country ranks DFW among the worst.

We fly high — and not because we're going anywhere quickly — on the list as the No. 3 most time-delayed airport in the country, averaging 67 minutes grounded and a collective passenger wait time of 872 years in 2018, according to the study. Overall, 24 percent of DFW Airport flights were either delayed or canceled last year.

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the only other Texas airport in the study, ranks No. 17, with 72-minute delays on average and passengers collectively spending 393 years waiting there to depart in 2018. Eighteen percent of its departing flights were either delayed or canceled last year.

So why all the delays? At DFW, most of the time (34 percent, to be exact) an aircraft is late. The other reasons include National Aviation System delays (29 percent), air carrier delays (21 percent), aircrafts being canceled or diverted (12 percent), and weather (4 percent). National Aviation System delays refer to issues such as "non-extreme weather conditions, airport operations, heavy traffic volume, and air traffic control," while carrier delays are described as being "due to circumstances within the airline's control," according to the study.

At IAH, National Aviation System delays are the biggest culprit at 40 percent, followed by aircrafts arriving late (27 percent), air carrier delay (20 percent), arriving aircraft canceled or delayed (8 percent), and weather (4 percent).

FinanceBuzz collected its data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which defines a delayed flight as one arriving or departing at least 15 minutes past schedule.

The absolute worst airport for departure delays is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), with passengers collectively grounded for 1,133 years in 2018, FinanceBuz says. Tampa International Airport (TPA) sits at the bottom of the list with the least time delayed (264 years collectively).

Hotel News

Hotel Mockingbird checks in with speakeasy at primo Dallas location

Hotel Mockingbird

Hotel Mockingbird, now open near Mockingbird Station

The hotel formerly known as the Beeman Hotel, overlooking US-75 near SMU in Dallas, has changed identity: It is now Hotel Mockingbird, the latest addition to Tribute Portfolio, Marriott Bonvoy’s collection of independent hotels.

Located at at 6070 N. Central Expwy., the property has undergone a multimillion-dollar transformation that includes 296 refreshed guest rooms, plus new dining and social spaces inspired by the surrounding neighborhood — one that includes both Southern Methodist University and Mockingbird Station, making it a convenient stay for those visiting campus, traveling for business, or spending the weekend in Dallas.

It now falls under the hotel and restaurant management portfolio of Coury Hospitality, the Tulsa-based hospitality group that oversees more than 85 hotels and restaurants including Hall Arts Hotel in Dallas, Hall Park Hotel in Frisco, Hotel Vin in Grapevine, the Elmore Hotel in Southlake, and The Sinclair in Fort Worth.

“Hotel Mockingbird was designed to connect with the community around it,” says Coury Hospitality CEO Paul Coury in a release. "Its proximity to SMU allows us to welcome a diverse mix of travelers, from visiting families and alumni to locals and business guests, while creating a social, design-forward destination that feels authentic to Dallas."

The property features two dining venues, as follows:

Versus Kitchen & Bar. The hotel’s signature restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner with a menu of bold and approachable dishes such as Korean-style short rib sliders, cacio e pepe taglietelle, miso butter salmon, and chicken Milanese. There's an entire vegetarian menu with a harvest grain bowl, mushroom burger, and Thai corn fritters. Breakfast includes huervos rancheros, avocado toast, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, and smoothies.

The restaurant will host Verse Vinyl Brunch, a music-driven brunch featuring playlists from local DJs; and a monthly series celebrating Texas’ creative culture via discussions with artists, chefs, musicians, and authors.

Tacos from Versus at Hotel MockingbirdHotel Mockingbird

Raven. This speakeasy-style lounge is open Thursday-Saturday nights, featuring dim lighting, refined drink menu, and an inviting ambiance. Specialty cocktails are $20 and include The Tequila Mockingbird, which contains Tequila Blanco, Cap Corse Rouge, lime, blueberry jam, and habanero shrub; and the Moto Taxi, featuring Trascendente Mezcal, Cappelletti, grapefruit, and Royal Combier.

Raven is designed as a velveteen hollow for craft cocktails, shareable plates, and late-night conversation. "Experiences" will include Cowgirl Confidential, a Dallas-inspired evening filled with live country music and local vendors; and Shaken & Stirred, a guided mixology experience led by the beverage team.

Hotel Mockingbird also offers flexible spaces for meetings and celebrations, along with hotel packages such as The Pony Express, designed for SMU visitors; and Awaken at The Woodhouse Spa, created in partnership with the nearby Woodhouse Spa. Other amenities include fitness center and indoor pool.

The property has changed hands more than once in recent years: Initially the Holiday Inn Dallas Central - Park Cities, it became a Magnolia property and sibling to the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Dallas in 2015. Then in 2019, it was taken over by Chicago-based Convexity Properties, who transformed it into The Beeman Hotel, named after one of the pioneering settlers of East Dallas, John Beeman.

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