Pack Your Patience

DFW declared No. 2 worst airport for flight delays and cancellations

DFW also ranks No. 2 worst for flight disruptions during the holidays.

Ahead of the busy holiday season, North Texans should budget extra time into their travel plans before flying out of the metro's bustling Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

DFW was just declared the No. 2 worst airport in the nation for flight disruptions by consumer review platform ConsumerAffairs, which analyzed the rates of moderate and severe delays, diversions, and cancellations at the 29 biggest U.S. airports. DFW also appeared as the No. 2 worst airport where holiday travel causes the biggest disruptions.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia led the nation as the No. 1 worst airport overall — the only airport that deemed more disruptive than DFW.

Unlike many other airports on the list that experience high cancellation rates, the report revealed DFW's biggest issue is its high volume of flight delays. DFW has the No. 1 highest moderate delay rate out of all the airports examined, with more than a quarter of all flights (25.18 percent) delayed by 15 minutes and up to three hours.

"It’s the kind of delay that eats into your day without necessarily blowing up your whole trip," the report's author wrote.

Nearly two percent of all flights are delayed over three hours, making DFW the fifth worst airport for severe delays. However, the study says there is a silver lining for travelers saddled with severe disruptions.

"DFW offered more scheduled backup flights to the same destination than many of the other airports on this list, giving travelers a decent shot at rebooking if a flight fell through," the report said.

These are the cancellation and diversion rates at DFW, per the report:

Cancellation rate: 2.31 percent
Diversion rate: 0.29 percent
Average same-day flights to the same destination: 3.95
Cancellations that were the last flight of the day to that destination: 24.88 percent

Flying at DFW will be even more stressful during the holidays, as 30 percent of flights will suffer from disruptions during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel periods — starting the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after, and again from December 18 to January 5.

DFW has the eighth highest holiday disruption rate out of the biggest airports, and the fifth highest holiday severe delay rate. Put some padding on your itinerary, because about 2.5 percent of all flights will be delayed more than three hours during the holidays.

In ConsumerAffairs' separate list of the worst medium-sized airports, Dallas Love Field landed as the 15th worst out of 32 U.S. airports. About 22 percent of all flights at DAL experience moderate delays — the No. 1 highest rate in this category — and 1.07 percent are severely delayed.

Additionally, over 26 percent of all DAL flights will be disrupted during the holiday travel season, and two percent of flights will experience severe delays.

The top 10 worst U.S. airports for delays and cancellations are:

No. 1 – Ronald Reagan Washington National
No. 2 – Dallas Fort Worth International
No. 3 – Newark Liberty International
No. 4 – Miami International
No. 5 – Philadelphia International
No. 6 – Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
No. 7 – LaGuardia
No. 8 – Tampa International
No. 9 – Washington Dulles International
No. 10 – George Bush Intercontinental

Surprisingly, Los Angeles International Airport landed as the best major U.S. airport for avoiding travel disruptions. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (No. 2) and Seattle-Tacoma International (No. 3) round out the top three best airports for on-time travel.

The report offers the following suggestions to help anxious travelers avoid flight disruptions: look into travel insurance to protect against delays or cancellations; look for nonstop flights; or book flights with earlier departure times on an airline with multiple departures to your destination.

For flights that do get delayed or cancelled, travelers need to "act fast" to rectify their situation, says Jennifer Rykaczewski, the CEO of nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Affordable Skies.

"In the first 10 minutes, open the airline app, see whether you have already been rebooked and search for acceptable alternatives," Rykaczewski said. "Throughout the process, save any documentation of the delay or cancellation, plus receipts for meals or hotels, in case you need it for an insurance claim later."

consumeraffairs dallas love field dfw dfw airport dfw international airport flight delays flights holiday travel travel

Wine is fine

Southwest’s Sip and Ship checked-wine program lands at Dallas Love Field

Photo by A.C. for Unsplash

Sip and Ship enables flyers to check one case of vino for free on flights from participating airports.

Lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir may want to raise a glass for Southwest Airlines.

On Monday, November 2, Dallas-based Southwest expanded its Sip and Ship program to Dallas Love Field and three other Texas airports, enabling travelers to check qualifying bottles of wine at no extra cost.

The program already served 19 airports in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Now, Sip and Ship enables flyers to check one case of vino for free on flights from 23 U.S. participating airports. To ship more than one case, a traveler must pay a checked-bag fee.

In addition to Dallas Love Field, Southwest added Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, and San Antonio International Airport to Sip and Ship.

A Southwest spokesperson said the airline introduced the program at the four Texas airports “following an overwhelming response from Texas wine lovers and growers.”

With the Texas airports included, Sip and Ship allows you to transport vino from wine regions in five states. This means you could pack a case of Cabernet Sauvignon from Northern California’s Napa Valley, Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, or dry Rosé from the Texas Hill Country.

So, how does the program work?

Southwest says a traveler can ship one packaged case of wine — up to 12 bottles — weighing 50 pounds or less and adhering to size limits (up to 62 inches, counting length, width and height).

The container holding the vino must be a single box or a special wine suitcase.

Additional leak-proof packaging is required to prevent breakage. This includes packing materials such as Styrofoam, molded foam inserts, cardboard liners, bubble wrap, and extra padding for glass bottles. The airline sells padded wine bags for $5 per bottle.

Then, a Southwest agent at the check-in counter inspects the case to ensure it’s properly packed, and seals and labels the wine box or suitcase.

Once you arrive at your destination, you can pick up the case at baggage claim or the area for oversized baggage.

To take advantage of Sip and Ship, you must be departing from one of the program’s 23 airports, be traveling within the U.S., and be at least 21 years old. The program applies to connecting flights as long as you’re flying within the U.S.

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Wine is fine

Southwest’s Sip and Ship checked-wine program lands at Dallas Love Field