You’re on time, but the airline isn’t.

That’s a frequent complaint from airline passengers, and Congress is being urged to put the airlines on official notice with a Passengers’ Bill of Rights that includes provisions for delayed takeoffs.

But as aggravating as it can be sitting on the tarmac for an hour or more, just 20% of air travelers are willing to pay more during peak travel periods if they’re guaranteed the plane will leave on time, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Sixty percent (60%) aren’t willing to pay a premium for a guaranteed on-time takeoff. Eighteen percent (18%) aren’t sure if the lack of a wait is worth the added cost.

These findings are largely unchanged from a survey of adults in September 2007, although opposition to paying more is slightly stronger now.

Forty-eight percent (48%) of air travelers favor a requirement that airlines tell customers what a flight’s on-time record is before they purchase a ticket, one of the proposals now being discussed in Washington.

Twenty-seven percent (27%) don’t think that’s necessary, and 25% are not sure.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter.

Women are slightly more comfortable than men with paying extra for a guaranteed take-off time. Among all travelers, those who fly occasionally are more willing to pay extra than are those who travel several times a year or more.

Perhaps reassuring to taxpayers is the finding that those who work in the private sector (25%) are three times as likely as government employees (8%) to favor paying more to guarantee their plane will leave on time.

Those who earn under $20,000 per year and over $100,000 annually are most supportive of paying extra for on-time take-offs.

As is often the case, Democrats are more willing to have the government step into the marketplace. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of air travelers who are Democrats believe airlines should be required to tell customers what a flight’s on-time record is before ticket purchases.

Forty-eight percent (48%) of Republicans agree. Air travelers not affiliated with either party are more closely divided on the question.

Older travelers favor such a requirement more than those who are younger. Support is stronger among higher-income groups.

In an April 2008 survey, 31% of Americans said flight delays were the fault of the airline, while 33% blamed them on bad weather and 17% held the airport responsible. Only 33% said the airlines needed more government regulation.

In a survey in January just after the highly publicized crash landing of a US Airways jet in the Hudson River with no loss of life, 58% of Americans said air travel is safer in the United States than in the rest of the world. Only 10% disagreed.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.