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How mild winters help airlines stay on time

Last week's monthly report by the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics provides a great example of how beneficial mild winter weather is for helping air travelers get where they're going on time. The report for February, with its milderthan-normal weather, shows that airlines operated more than 86 percent of their flights on time, almost 12 points better than a year ago. The on-time performance also helped the carriers mishandle fewer bags, as reported in this story. 

PHL had a remarkable record for the month, 88 percent of flights arriving on time and 90 percent departing on time, one of the best in recent memory. Those numbers helped US Airways finish in the top three among its biggest competitors in on-time flights, bag handling and complaints and provided employees a $50 bonus.