Most travelers expect to have virtually no control over whether their flight departs on time.
That’s especially true during the holidays.
Last year, the number of on-time flights in November and December dropped to their lowest levels in five years.
But a piece of information printed on one’s ticket can actually help predict the likelihood of a delay-free trip this season: the scheduled arrival time.
In the past five years, 86.2% of November and December holiday flights that were scheduled to arrive between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. arrived on time.
The breakfast hour had the highest punctuality of any Department of Transportation-measured time slot.
Fast forward 12 hours, and it’s a different story. When flights were scheduled to land between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., only 67.5% made their target, proving the old saw about the early bird and the worm.
“Getting up early and catching that first flight out is still the best thing to do,” said Doug Church, communications director for the National Air Traffic Controller’s Association. “If you can stomach it.”
Other good times to arrive include between 6 a.m. and 6:59 a.m., and 1 p.m. and 1:59 p.m. Flights between of 4 p.m. and 4:59 p.m. are less likely to arrive on time.
Read more at Forbes
