Frontier Airlines Fined for Failing to Display On-Time Performance on its Web Site

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today fined Frontier Airlines $40,000 for failing to display on-time performance for its flights on the carrier’s Web site as required by DOT rules and ordered the carrier to cease and desist from further violations in the future.

“Air travelers have a right to know whether the flight they are buying is chronically delayed or canceled,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.  “Protecting the rights of air travelers is a high priority for DOT and we will continue to take enforcement action when necessary.”

According to DOT’s airline consumer rule that became effective in April 2010, the 16 largest U.S. carriers must post information on their Web sites about the on-time performance of each of their flights.  The information must include the percentage of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule; the percentage of arrivals that were more than 30 minutes late, with special highlighting if these flights were late more than 50 percent of the time; and the percentage of cancellations if more than 5 percent of the flight’s operations were canceled.

DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office reviewed Frontier’s Web site and information provided by the carrier, and found that its on-time performance data were not available to consumers visiting the site during a period of time in early 2011.  Frontier did not discover or correct the problem until after the Enforcement Office notified the carrier.

The consent order is available on the Internet at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2011-0003.