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Who says that quality on-air service has to come at a price?
Cirium just revealed its monthly ranking of the best-performing North American airlines for on-time departures, and among some recurring names we’ve come to expect from these types of lists like Delta, Alaska, and United, there was one low-cost carrier that took us all by surprise.
At a time when all flight cancellations surged across the country by a whopping 84% (during May), a major budget airline (which, spoiler alert, isn’t Southwest) managed to maintain an on-time performance rate of over 76.5%, giving those traveling on a budget this summer some much-needed peace of mind.
So, which one is it?
JetBlue Is America’s Most Punctual Low-Cost Carrier
As far as the cost-to-punctuality ratio is concerned, JetBlue is the best U.S. carrier right now.
Not only was the Long Island-based company able to outperform fellow budget competitors, but it actually surpassed even higher-end airlines like United and American in the race to keep delayed flights at a minimum.
And remember, this isn’t a tiny operation that’s easy to keep organized.
JetBlue handles some 30,000 flights a month, and having close to 23,000 of them go off without a hitch is nothing short of impressive.
Even if you happen to be one of the unlucky few passengers on a delayed flight, the carrier has a solid Cancellations & Delays Policy designed to make the entire experience that much easier (and, more importantly, might make you entitled to hundreds of dollars of compensation if you play your cards right, so definitely read through that whole thing).
But a great delay policy is far from the only JetBlue program you can take advantage of.
JetBlue Has A Fantastic Loyalty Program
Just a little over a year ago, JetBlue announced their brand-new loyalty program, one that included free flights and cushy upgrades.
Called TrueBlue, this system also included the carrier’s partners – think JetBlue Vacations, American Airlines flights, and Paisly.com.
The premise is easy enough.
You sign into the program and start purchasing products and services as you normally would, and for every $100 spent you get 1 tile.
Once you accumulate 10, you can decide to spend it on any perk offered by the airline, which might be early boarding, priority seating, an alcoholic drink, a JetBlue vacation bonus, or a 5,000 points bonus.
There’s more to learn about the ins and outs of the program, so check out the article linked above for more info on how to best take advantage of it – and believe me, you don’t want to miss out on one of the best airline loyalty points programs in North America.
Exciting New Routes
OK, so now that you know which airline you’re booking this summer, the answer remains: where can you go?
The answer is: nearly anywhere you want.
Not only does JetBlue already boast an impressive catalog of over 100 serviced destinations, but several new routes to some of the season’s most coveted destinations have been introduced these past couple of months.
The Dominican Republic, Mexico (Tulum, Cancun), Puerto Rico, St. Vincent, Bonaire, and Belize are just a few of the stunning hubs that have become that much more accessible through JetBlue’s latest expansion.
While ticket prices will vary depending on where you’re flying from and where, exactly, you’re going, by the looks of it, you can reach most of these destinations for less than $200 (prices vary based on timing and demand).
Which Airlines Are Performing Even Better Than JetBlue In Terms Of Punctuality?
Let’s say that you’re not too concerned about cost and just want to find an airline that gives you the best chance of avoiding delays during this frantic summer season.
Where do you book your flight?
Your best bet remains Delta, which seems to refuse to let go of its title as North America’s most punctual airline.
Though, like all of its competitors, Delta experienced a decrease in terms of on-time performance this past month (81.04% from April’s 85.73%), it still managed to hold onto the No. 1 spot, with Alaska following closely behind, and WestJet (a Canadian entry) coming in third.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.