Air journey bought extra depressing final yr, if the variety of shopper complaints filed with the U.S. authorities is any measure.
The Transportation Division mentioned Friday that it obtained almost 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the yr earlier than. The division mentioned there have been so many complaints that it took till July to type by the filings and compile the figures.
That’s the best variety of shopper complaints about airways since 2020, when airways have been sluggish to present clients refunds after the coronavirus pandemic shut down air journey.
The rise in complaints got here at the same time as airways canceled far fewer U.S. flights — 116,700, or 1.2% of the whole, final yr, in contrast with about 210,500, or 2.3%, in 2022, in response to FlightAware knowledge. Nonetheless, delays remained stubbornly excessive final yr, at round 21% of all flights.
Up to now this yr, cancellations stay comparatively low — about 1.3% of all flights — however delays are nonetheless operating round 21%.
Greater than two-thirds of all complaints final yr handled U.S. airways, however 1 / 4 lined international airways. Many of the relaxation have been about journey brokers and tour operators.
Complaints about treating passengers with disabilities rose by greater than one-fourth in contrast with 2022. Complaints of discrimination, whereas small in quantity, additionally rose sharply. Most have been about race or nationwide origin.
Airways obtain many extra complaints from vacationers who don’t understand how or don’t hassle to complain to the federal government, however the carriers don’t launch these numbers.
The Transportation Division is modernizing its complaint-taking system, which the company says will assist it do a greater job overseeing the airline trade. Nonetheless, the division now releases grievance numbers many months late. It didn’t problem figures for the second half of 2023 till Friday.
