Australia’s worst airports for flight delays
Important:
Travel insurance rules continue to change as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. We’re working hard to keep up and make sure our guides are up to date, however some information may not be accurate during the pandemic. It’s even more important to double-check all details that matter to you before taking out cover. Please know that some policies may not be available through Finder at this time. Here are some helpful tips:- If you're buying a policy today, it's unlikely that you'll be covered for border closures
- If your travel plans go against government advice, your policy will most likely be voided and you won't be covered
Cities in Queensland and Tasmania have the highest percentage of delayed flights in the country.
Resort goers in Queensland have between a 25% and 30% chance of having their flights delayed, according to research compiled by finder.com.au. Among Australia's 20 busiest airports, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast were number one and number three in late departures in 2017 respectively.
In the Sunshine Coast, you have a 31% chance of having a delayed flight and in the Gold Coast, you're likely to be left waiting 24% of the time.
It's not only airports in Queensland that had problems with punctuality, as Tasmanian cities took the number two and four spots. People departing Hobart and Launceston wait for flights 27% and 24% of the time respectively.
Sydney rounded out the top five, leaving travellers waiting for 20% of their flights.
At first glance, it seems like it's mainly the smaller airports that have the biggest problems. However, some of the best wait times can be found at other small airports around the country.
If you don't like being delayed, you may want to think about visiting the seafood capital of Australia, Port Lincoln. It makes passengers wait the least, with only 8% of flights running late. Karratha was next (11%) followed by Perth (13%) and Townsville (14%).
Travellers who are not in the mood for Port Lincoln’s fish and chips might want to consider taking out travel insurance. Most policies offer travel delay cover that will pay you for your trouble if you’re forced to wait beyond a certain amount of time. That can make up for all those additional meals, transport and accommodations you had to purchase because of the delay.
This type of cover is available both domestically and internationally and will come as part of a package with a lot of other helpful benefits including lost luggage cover, trip cancellation cover and medical cover for international travellers.
finder.com.au compiled this research using data from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.
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Finally, some good news! Domestic travel is picking up, so some insurers have started offering cover again 🦘 Just remember, you won't be covered for any pandemic related claims if you do take out domestic travel insurance.
International travel insurance is limited and sometimes unavailable at this point.
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