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US airlines running behind schedule so far in 2014

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

More U.S. flights arrived late in June than the month before, continuing a string of poor performances by the nation’s airlines.

The government says that in the first six months of the year, the rate of late flights was the highest since 2008 and cancelations were the highest since 2000.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday that among airlines reporting figures, 71.8 percent of domestic flights arrived on time in June, down from 76.9 percent the month before and 71.9 percent in June 2013. A flight counts as late if it arrives more than 14 minutes behind schedule.

Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines, which aren’t as exposed to bad weather in the eastern and central parts of the country, had the best on-time ratings. Delta Air Lines led among the biggest carriers.

Regional airlines Envoy and ExpressJet and big carriers Southwest and American were at the bottom of the rankings. All were late more than 30 percent of the time. American and Envoy are both owned by American Airlines Group Inc., whose chief operating officer, Robert Isom, said that the company’s network suffered more than rivals from bad weather.

About 2 percent of all flights in June were canceled, with Envoy, ExpressJet and SkyWest faring the worst. Delta, Hawaiian, Frontier, Virgin America and Alaska all had minuscule cancellation rates of 0.2 percent or lower.

For the January-to-June period, 3 percent of all flights were canceled, the third-worst performance in the last 20 years, according to the government figures.

Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, a trade group for the large carriers, said weather has been the biggest factor all year, with 17,370 weather-related cancelations in the first half of 2014 compared with 11,480 in the same period last year.

“With the exception of April, every single month had worse weather-related cancellations than the year earlier … there were times it was simply not safe to fly,” Medina said.

For the first six months of 2014, 74.2 percent of flights by the reporting airlines were on time. That is the fifth-lowest mark for the period in the last 20 years and the lowest since 2008 and 2007.

Consumers filed 1,095 complaints with the government against U.S. airlines, an increase of 16 percent over June 2013. Hawaiian, AirTran, Southwest and Alaska had the lowest rate of complaints, while Frontier, United and US Airways had the highest.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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