About 73% of flights arrived on time in June this year — fewer than the nearly 75% in June 2021, though about equal to the pre-pandemic rate in June 2019, according to most recent Department of Transportation data.
More flights have been cancelled, too — 3.1% of flights in June 2022, which is double the rate during the same time last year and up from 2.1% in 2019, according to agency data.
Airlines mishandled a larger share of bags from January to June 2022 than in recent years, too. More than 1.4 million bags — 0.63% of the total — were mishandled during that period, versus 709,700 (0.44% of all bags) in 2021 and 1.5 million (0.61%) in 2019. Mishandled bags include those that are lost or delayed.
“Err on the side of more time, always,” Rathner said. “Lines are long and airports are still understaffed, so you don’t want to waltz into the airport with 20 minutes to go.”
For travelers choosing a flight with one or more stops, she recommends looking for layovers of 90 minutes or more for U.S. flights to provide an adequate buffer.
Those with a layover can also eliminate the risk of a lost or delayed bag by packing light and carrying belongings onto the airplane rather than checking them, she said.
5 more tips for cheaper airfare and travel
There are ways travelers can potentially reduce their costs for plane tickets — and for a trip, more broadly — aside from choosing a layover. Some may run counter to popular belief.
Be flexible with when you fly: Flying domestically on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday yields a 20% discount relative to a weekend departure, on average, according to Google’s analysis of historical data. The discount is 12% when considering both international and U.S. flights. Additionally, those with flexibility to travel during the offseason between Labor Day and year-end holidays will generally get discounts relative to peak travel times, Rathner said. Domestic airfare in September and October is down 37% compared to the peak summer season, for example, according to Hopper.And where you fly from: Consider all nearby airports, not just the one closest to you. It may be cheaper to drive to an airport farther from home and fly in and out from there, compared to your home airport, according to Phil Dengler, a travel expert at The Vacationer.Shop early: Waiting for a particular day of the week to book a flight doesn’t offer much of a financial benefit — travelers have gotten a paltry 1.9% discount, on average, by shopping on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday instead of the weekend, according to Google. Buying well in advance has a “much bigger influence” on cost than waiting for a Tuesday, Byers said. Domestic flights are cheapest about a month and a half before departure, though may vary based on the specific route, Google found.Set price alerts: Experts recommend using services that help consumers track cheap airfare and send price alerts to travelers. Examples include The Fare Deal Alert, The Flight Deal, Google Flights, KAYAK Price Alerts, Scott’s Cheap Flights and Secret Flying, according to Rathner. “It can be useful to use the technology that exists to save you from yourself,” she said.Book your trip backwards: Flights are often the first thing people consider and book when planning a trip. But plane tickets may not be the most expensive component. Optimizing the price of a rental car by searching for the lowest-cost combination of days, and then buying plane tickets to match that itinerary, may help save money on the overall trip even if it means paying a little more for airfare, Rathner said.
Airfare is often considerably cheaper with a layover. But more flight and baggage delays this year have meant those extra savings may not be worthwhile.