07:12 PM CST on Wednesday, January 18, 2006

By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA-TV

DMN

Web site looks at delays and cancellations.

We can't control the weather or heavy traffic or the mechanical issues that might change our travel plans.

But we can now do a little extra research to find out which flights are more prone to leaving behind schedule or not at all.

Information is power, even more so when you run the gauntlet from getting out of the office or house, through traffic, through airport security and then something beyond your control.

You can choose a flight by price, so why not reliability?

It doesn't happen that often - airlines typically fly 98 percent of their scheduled flights in a month.

But when it does Billetrice Walker says there's nothing worse than that feeling at the airport.

"It frightens me, scares me, panics me. I don't know if it's anything that I could have done. I don't like to see the word canceled. Delayed, but not canceled," she said.

Delays, of course, are more frequent.

Some specific flights get a late start more often than not.

It would be good to know.

"It would let me know what do and what not to do," Walker added.

The government's on-time figures are often stale by the time they're out.

But FlightStats.com takes Department of Transportation and airline information, puts it all in one place, and grades every airport and airline, every route, every flight —every two weeks.

"For the first time, you can actually take action to avoid travel delays," said FlightStats' Jeff Kennedy.

San Francisco to DFW - American Airlines - 521 flights in 60 days.

Flight 544 is scheduled to depart at 12:16 p.m. But that only happens half the time. It averages 42 minutes late - once, two hours, 43 minutes late.

"So, although 79 percent of the flights into DFW were on time during that sixty day period, the difference between flights varies dramatically," says Kennedy.

American Airlines has the government's on-time data on its website but says passengers put that low on their list.

"Price, schedule, frequent flyer program -- those are the most important things to people," said Tim Wagner from American Airlines.

Asking and getting answers to the on-time question could save you from more difficult ones, later.

"When is the next flight out, how can I get out of here, or how are they going to accommodate me if I have to stay?" says Walker.

E-mail bhawkins@wfaa.com