Best And Worst Airlines 2016: Spirit Airlines Ranked Worst In Delays, Passenger Complaints

Spirit Airlines received the poorest ratings out of 13 airlines when it came to on-time arrivals and passenger complaints in 2015, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Transportation released Thursday.

An average 11.73 Spirit customers for every 100,000 were dissatisfied with the service. The rate was considerably higher than the industry average — 1.9 fliers out of every 100,000 complained, according to the report. The number of complaints rose last year, with more than 20,000 filed overall. More than 6,000 complaints from customers across the country concerned fight cancellations and delays, while 3,000 were related to baggage. Other complaints related to flight problems, reservations and ticketing, refunds, consumer service, disability and discrimination.

The report looked at the average on-time arrival rate for the 13 airlines. Spirit Airlines came in last place, arriving at the gate on time 79.92 percent of the time, which was actually the highest rate for the airline since 2012. Hawaiian Airlines boasted the best record, arriving on time 88.40 percent of the time, followed by Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines.

Spirit’s performance may be attributed to its expansion last year: Nonstop service was added to 10 new destinations, according to CNBC. The airline announced Tuesday it is interested in expanding to Cuba. After the United States and Cuba signed an aviation agreement Tuesday, spokesman Paul Berry told the Associated Press the airline plans to submit a proposal to Cuban aviation officials to offer flights to the island nation.

Here are the full rankings for on-time arrival rate:

1. Hawaiian Airlines: 88.4 percent

2. Alaska Airlines: 86.42 percent

3. U.S. Airways/American Airlines: 80.06 percent

4. Virgin America Airlines: 79.92 percent

5. American Airlines: 79.2 percent

6. SkyWest Airlines: 79.72 percent

7. Southwest Airlines: 79.71 percent

8. United Airlines: 78.15 percent

9. ExpressJet Airlines: 77.9 percent

10. JetBlue Airways: 75.97 percent

11. Envoy Air: 74.07 percent

12. Frontier Airlines: 73.23 percent

12. Spirit Airlines: 79.92 percent