DELAYED: The Soaring Toll

"When we evaluate which flights are subject to cancellation, we try to affect the fewest number of travelers that we can, so the smaller aircraft like 1276 are more likely to be canceled" or delayed, he said.

On a recent afternoon, their flight already an hour behind schedule thanks to bad weather in Newark, passengers on 1276 said they have been forced to adapt to delays.

One computer software executive said he books flights with extra layover time to ensure that he doesn't miss connections. An investment banker said he stumbles bleary-eyed to the airport to take the earliest possible departure to avoid delays that build through the day. A security consultant from northern New Jersey said he flew to Northern Virginia Sunday afternoon and paid for a hotel room rather than risk being late on a Monday morning flight.

Ricardo DaSilva Oliveira, 37, a California-based financial consultant with a major investment bank, was attending meetings in the Washington area and heading to Newark to catch a connection to Lisbon.

A frequent traveler, he estimated that he lost 100 hours to delayed flights in the last year. Such snarls caused him to miss a crucial meeting in South America to close a $600 million deal. Another firm won the contract, he said.

"We thought about suing the airline, but then realized we couldn't prove" that the delays derailed the account, Oliveira said, adding that he sometimes takes private jets for important meetings to reduce the chances of late arrivals.

Phil Lenge, a New Jersey tax consultant, looked at a magazine in reserved frustration. A few days earlier, his 7 a.m. flight from Newark to Washington was canceled, forcing him to grab one later that afternoon. The delay cost his firm about $4,000 in billable hours, he said.

"I am just happy I don't travel more often," he added. "This is no fun."

Sean White, a 36-year-old investment banker from Tenafly, N.J., has become so accustomed to delays that he often books two flights at different times to make sure he can escape town if one is delayed or canceled.

He had already started his day early -- at 4:30 a.m. to catch the earliest Newark-Dulles flight possible. The flight was on time, a surprise that forced him to wait 90 minutes for his meetings, he said

He was nervous about getting home in time to see his kids because their bedtimes were approaching. His flight left Dulles at 3:56 p.m. and arrived at its gate in Newark at 5:16, 61 minutes behind its published schedule. He felt lucky -- he got to see his kids.

"I took the same flights two weeks ago and it was two hours late," he said, getting him home too late to see his children before they went to bed. "I have come to expect delays, but I do my best to see how much I can minimize them. There has to be a better way to do things."

Staff researcher Sarah Cohen contributed to this story.