Delays Cost Passengers Billions As Airlines Rake In Profits

(RTTNews) - Flight cancellations during the the 2014/2015 U.S. winter storm season has so far impacted 4.5 million passengers who have already incurred $2.2 billion in unplanned out-of-pocket costs for related expenses including: overnight hotel accommodations, meals, alternative travel arrangements, and lost productivity, according to aviation data and analytics firm masFlight.

"so far this year, our data reveals that 63,000 flights have been cancelled due to severe winter weather," said masFlight President Tulinda Larsen. "By comparison, that number is pretty close to the 66,000 flights, on average, that have been cancelled since 2009."

The highest number of total annual flight cancellations, since 2009, was 104,000 that occurred during the 2013/2014 winter season, masFlight data revealed. The 2011/2012 season was the mildest with only 24,000 flight cancellations.

The financial impact of U.S. winter weather flight cancellations to airlines has climbed to $185 million, although that number falls just below the average of $194 million lost by airlines over the past six years.

U.S. airlines recorded six consecutive quarters of profit for the first time since 1999-2000, and made a combined $8 billion in the first three quarters of 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Further, big U.S. airlines are expected to post higher profits this year amid strong travel demand and falling fuel costs.