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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Salt Lake City International Airport had the best on-time-arrival rate among the 33 biggest airports in the country last year, with 83.4 percent of flights landing on time, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation,
But the figures for the 13 airlines serving Salt Lake varied widely.
SkyWest Airlines had the best performance in the year ending May 31, according to the Transportation Department and research by The Salt Lake Tribune. St. George-based SkyWest aircraft landed on schedule 87.1 percent of the time.
"Our people understand that when passengers are traveling they first want to get safely to their destination. They want to be there on time. They want their bags to show up with them. And they want to have a pleasant experience," SkyWest spokeswoman Sabrina Suite said.
United Airlines had the worst record at 69.5 percent, the newspaper said.
United executives did not answer a request for comment.
However, airport director Roy Williams said some of United's below-par record could be traced to circumstances that have little to do with its local operations. United serves Salt Lake from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, one of the least-punctual airports in the country. It also flies from Denver International Airport, where winter storms can delay arrivals and departures.
Flights departing O'Hare have a one-in-three chance of being delayed, according to AvoidDelays.com, a Web site that uses Federal Aviation Administration statistics compiled by air traffic controllers. Denver travelers have a one-in-four chance of a holdup.
Neil Stronach, Delta Air Lines' vice president of operational performance control and reliability, said one-time arrival is believe to be "one of the top-tier decision-drivers" for consumers.
"Obviously, price and schedule are big drivers for selection. But once they've bought a ticket from you, if you are incapable of actually delivering, then (any flight) loses its luster," he said.
Delta, which ranked near the bottom among big carriers in on-time performance two years ago, has set a corporate-wide goal of 81.8 percent. In Salt Lake, 83.1 percent of its aircraft arrived on schedule in the year ending May 31.
Some experts say on-time rates aren't the key drivers in which airline travelers choose.
"It actually reflects the airline's performance. But a good or bad performance generally isn't enough to change their purchase decision," said David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association.
The top criteria for selecting a flight are price and schedule. If those are similar among airlines, then frequent-flier relationships will usually break a tie, Stempler said.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
