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Florida Airports Lead The Way In Cancellations And Delays

Author Joe Winner
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was closed due to the flooded runways on April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The heavy rain yesterday caused flooding as the region recorded rainfall totals of more than a foot. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida airports are about to get really busy. With the holidays rapidly approaching it’s estimated that 2 in 3 Americans plan on traveling this holiday season. 42% by plane. Of those, over a third are worried about delays and cancellations. Here’s one – 75% of people are willing to pay more to fly directly to their destination in an attempt to avoid travel issues. I fall into this category. I recently planned a holiday trip from Florida to head up north and yes, I paid more for a direct flight. Delta once rerouted my connecting flight to Minnesota and then stuck me there over night because of weather. Not doing that again.

So how well do Florida airports stack up against the rest of the country when it comes to cancellations and delays?

Not well, actually. But it’s really not all our fault. I’ll get to that.

An analysis of U.S Department of Transportation data reveals the airports with the most delays and cancellations.

Most Delays:

  1. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
  2. McCarran International (Las Vegas, NV)
  3. Orlando International & Denver International

Most Cancellations:

  1. Dallas Love Field
  2. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
  3. Newark Liberty International (Newark, NJ)

A flight is considered delayed if it leaves more than 15 minutes after it’s scheduled time. Cancelled is, well, cancelled. 31.85% of FLL departures were delayed. 2.59% were cancelled.

So why do we have so many delays?

Stuff happens in Florida. Back in August, Hurricane Idalia “canceled more than 1,000 flights and delayed nearly 900 more.” And that didn’t really affect Fort Lauderdale much. Back in April, Fort Lauderdale got around 2 feet of rain which flooded the runways, closing the airport. More than 1,100 flights were cancelled and a lot more delays as the airport turned into a lake. This is what the board looked like on that day.

We get some pretty extreme weather in Southwest Florida, too. So I think it’s a big deal that RSW is not on this list. Miami is 6 on the Most Delayed list. Here’s the full study.

5 Florida Airports Rank As Worst For Lost Luggage In US

Vacations and travel are supposed to be fun right?  What could be worse then getting to your destination to find that your luggage has been lost? No one wants to wear their plane clothes any longer than they have to.

Unfortunately, it’s happening all too often across the United States and apparently, especially here in Florida.

I’ve been a victim of lost luggage in the past and it just plain sucks.  That’s all there is to it.  We spend so much time packing and planning, to make sure we’ve got everything we need for a trip.  Then to find out you’ve got nothing, and don’t know when or if your stuff will ever reach you.  UGH!  Super frustrating.

With summer in full motion, the crew over at Forbes, put together a list of the worst airports in the country for lost luggage.

In order to complete the list Forbes Advisor compared the nation’s 100 busiest airports using TSA data across four metrics.

  • Number of property damage claims per 100,000 domestic passengers: 30% of score.
  • Number of property loss claims per 100,000 domestic passengers: 30% of score.
  • Percentage of property damage claims reimbursed in full: 20% of score.
  • Percentage of property loss claims reimbursed in full: 20% of score.

The worst airport for lost luggage isn’t in Florida.  Phew! Taking the number one spot is John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.  Also among the top 10 worst were Los Angeles, Norfolk, Boston, Harry Reid in Vegas, Newark, Daniel K. Inouye in Honolulu and Dulles in Washington DC.  You can read the full study completed by Forbes here.

So, how did the 5 Florida airports rank in the top 25 worst for lost luggage?  Let’s take a look

 

  • 2. Miami International Airport (MIA) - Miami

    Between 2013 and 2022, Miami International Airport had the second highest number of both property loss claims and property damage claims

    Miami International Airport - iflyMIA - Miami International Airport

    Miami International Airport (MIA), located on 3,230 acres of land near Downtown Miami, now offers more flights to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport.

  • 5. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

    Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had the ninth highest number of property loss claims over the past decade and tied for eleventh with LAX for property damage claims

    Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL)

    Informational Guide to Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood Int. Airport (FLL) - Arrivals, departures, terminals, transport, parking, car rental, maps

  • 16. Orlando International Airport (MCO) - Orlando, Florida

    Only about 29% of property loss claims were fully reimbursed.

    Home - Greater Orlando Aviation Authority

    The official website of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport

  • 19. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) - Ft. Myers, FL

    Just over 24% of property loss claims were fully reimbursed.

     

    Southwest Florida International Airport

    Southwest Florida International Airport (Lee County Port Authority) Gateway to Fort Myers and Florida`s Gulf Coast serving Southwest Florida, Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs, Ft. Myers Beach, Naples, Golden Gate, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte

     

  • 25. Tampa International Airport (TPA) - Tampa, FL

    Less than 20% of property loss claims were fully reimbursed.

    Homepage | Tampa International Airport

    Tampa International Airport 4100 George J. Bean Pkwy Tampa, FL 33607 US

Joe Winner spends his days combing through memes and off beat stories to bring you the side of Florida not always seen.

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