Most weather-delayed airports during holidays
As U.S. travelers gear up for the holiday season, a new survey has revealed which airports and airlines face the most delays during inconvenient weather.
According to Upgraded Points , a travel company based in Texas, airports in San Francisco, New Jersey and New York all led the way in having the highest percentage of flights with weather delays during the holiday season.
San Francisco 's weather-related delay rate was reported to be 42.3%, mostly caused by fog, which limits visibility in Northern California.
Other airports that made the top five list include Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, Seattle–Tacoma International, and Logan International in Boston.
According to analysts at Upgraded Points, most of the delays along the East Coast are caused by intense winter storms that can produce gusty winds, drop heavy snow and reduce visibility.
The company said it was able to surmise where weather-related flight delays happen the most often by examining data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the busiest 60 airports across the country.
All the airports receiving the title for the worst weather delays were in the northern tier of the country, except for one – Houston 's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Upgraded Points said 29.6% of flights at IAH faced some sort of delay during the winter holiday season, but it is a different story just 25 miles away at the much smaller William P. Hobby Airport.
Even though HOU faces the same weather as IAH, it ranks as one of the best airports with a delay rate of just 12.3%.
It all comes down to passenger throughput, with George Bush servicing around 40 million passengers annually and Hobby only reporting just north of 10 million.
On the flipside, Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Dallas Love Field (DAL) all rank on the lower end of weather-related delays.
Among airlines, companies that have major hubs in airports with usually poor weather suffered from the most disruptions.
Based on federal transportation data, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Allegiant Air took the honors for having the highest percentage of weather delays.
The survey did not account for delays caused by mechanical issues or air traffic controller shortages, both of which can further extend wait times.
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The TSA recommends passengers arrive at the airport at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours prior to any international excursions.
In March, the agency announced the expansion of its PreCheck program , which allows select fliers to use its expedited screening process at more than 200 airports.
Security officials estimate 99% of passengers enrolled in the PreCheck program wait less than 10 minutes at airport checkpoints.
