U.S. Department of Transportation Reports Decline in Airline On-Time Performance and Rise in Baggage Mishandling
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has released its February 2026 Air Travel Consumer Report, highlighting a decrease in on-time performance for airlines to 78.4 percent, down from 81.2 percent in January. This decline is attributed to winter-weather disruptions in the Upper Midwest and staffing challenges at key hubs. Additionally, mishandled baggage reports increased from 0.61 to 0.79 per thousand passengers. Complaints filed with the DOT's ACERS portal rose by 12 percent, indicating growing traveler dissatisfaction with missed connections and lost luggage. The report provides critical data for corporate travel buyers and mobility managers, offering benchmarks for negotiating service-level agreements in airline-discount programs. 
