Avoiding Summer Flight Delays

Worst In Years; Expert Has Tips To Help You Stay On Schedule

(CBS)  Avoid huge hub airports

"Atlanta and the three New York City airports have the worst record for delays," Frommer said, "but you have to remember that two-thirds of all travelers are being funneled through the top 26 airports. So you have much more of a likelihood of being delayed at those large airports, and sometimes going to, say, Oakland instead of San Francisco, you'll have much less chance of delays, and you're going to get lower ticket prices at the smaller regional airports, often."

Do your homework

"There are sites," Frommer said, "such as AvoidDelays.com, and Department of Transportation sites that will tell you which are the worst airlines, which are the worst flights. For example, AirTran (Airways) has a flight between Charlotte and Atlanta that is delayed 96 percnet of the time!"

Why?

"I would assume It's weather patterns in that area, but it could be congestion on the runways. You never know."

Know Your Rights

The most important one, Frommer said, is "Rule 240."

"If the delay is the fault of the airline and not of the weather," she said, "invoke Rule 240. March up to the desk and say, 'Rule 240!' And Rule 240 states that they must get you where you're going, even if they have to put you on a flight from another airline, even if they have to pay for that. So, use Rule 240 on the legacy carriers, such as United, Delta, American, etc. It won't work on (for instance) Southwest and Jet Blue, but if it's their fault that you can't get where you're going, they have to get you there by the rules of carriage."