Lies, **** lies, and statistics
 

Interesting data from the February 2000 Air Travel Consumer Report, which contains statistics for December, 1999:

TW and NW had the best on-time records. Bringing up the rear were WN, HP, and AS. (A look at on-time arrival and departure shows why. Airports in the state of Alaska have really bad on-time records, with sirports in Hawaii having the best.)

DL, CO, and US had the fewest mishandled baggage complaints. UA was last.

TW and NW had the fewest passengers denied boarding in the second half of 1999. Taking into account the relative sizes of the two airlines, HP had nearly 15 times as many passengers denied as TW.

WN had the fewest customer complaints; HP the most.

And for the truly surreal, SFO had a significantly better on-time arrival and departure record than OAK.
http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/0002atcr.pdf

Maybe these statisticians got everything
REVERSED!!!

Or some internet hacker got on the site and reversed everythign!

Great post Dgolds, one of many by you! thanks!

Surreal or unreal?? I suspect these SFO/OAK stats fall into the lies and **** lies categories. Oakland did have holding for weather one day this winter - I think it was in January - and it was quite an unusual event. There is no delay program for OAK.

On time performance stats vary from Airline to Airline. Some airlines stop the clock when the plane pulls into the gate, others wait until the engines are turned off and others do it when the door is opened. Only when all the airlines use the same criteria will these ratings make any sense.

The January 2000 report is now out:

Just for the record:

AS had the lowest lost luggage rate
CO was second
UA had the highest rate

WN had the lowest complaint rate
AS was second
HP was last

IMHO, on-time performance isn't measured in a "useful" way. All I care about is how one airline compares to another on a particular route...and only then if the difference is significant. So, if you still want to know, the site is: http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/index1.htm

Things are back to normal in the Bay Area: SFO had an abysmal 58% on time arrival record this month. It didn't beat out Oakland this time.


[This message has been edited by dgolds (edited 03-08-2000).]