2023 is on track to set a new record in terms of complaints against US airlines by consumers, according to Department of Transportation data.
Consumers File Record Number Of Complaints Against US Airlines In 2023
This week the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) published a report sifting through consumer complaint data from the Department of Transportation (DOT) concerning US airlines.
Among the PIRG key findings:
- Cancellations from January through September improved significantly compared with the same period last year, dropping from 2.6% of flights to 1.5%
- Delays have been a bigger problem than in 2022, particularly when they cause passengers to miss connecting flights
- Incidents of lost or damaged bags were up only slightly over the same period last year, but were up significantly during the heart of the busy summer
- The rate of mishandled wheelchairs is just as bad in 2023 as it was in 2022 and ticked higher in the recent two months for which data is available
- The number of flights from January through September increased by 4%, but passenger volume increased by 11% over the same period
In terms of complaints, the top three complaint categories were:
- Cancellations or delays – 25%
- Refunds – 20%
- Lost or damaged baggage – 16%
With 26,000 complaints filed in January – May alone, 2023 is expected to easily break the record number of passenger complaints set in 2022:
Leading the pack was Frontier Airlines, which was (by far) the airline consumers most complained about:
In terms of on-time performance, Delta won out:
My sense as a “road warrior” who is frequently on the road is that airline operations have tightened up in a very good way this year compared to 2022 and that carriers have finally sorted out post-pandemic staffing. I have not dealt with any refund issues or baggage issues this year and only a handful of my flights have been seriously delayed (with even fewer canceled).
CONCLUSION
Passenger complaints against US airlines are up again in 2023, with most complaints directed at delays, refunds, and lost or damaged baggage.
I wonder sometimes if the number of complaints is simply rising because airlines (and the DOT) have made it easier than ever to complain?
One of two things:
1. This is a direct correlation of airline customer service going off a cliff in the past few years
2. We’re just turning into a nation of whiners who want to sue first and ask questions later
or
3. Both
Potential 4. The less-traveling public has become more aware of how to file complaints than in the past after a tumultuous couple of seasons like last winter, thus opening the floodgates a little whereas before it was likely the realm of frequent travelers.
Very revealing thanks for posting this. One of the many reasons I love your blog.
Just don’t check bags. It isn’t hard. You can do laundry anywhere. If you carry on, your bag will always make it.
Delta, the biggest and most profitable airline in the world, once again proves it is the indisputable leader in everything it does.
Yet people continue to fly Frontier which proves that low cost always beats good service
Why do the low cost carriers have the worst on time rates?
Higher utilization rate…almost zero down time at night. Meaning, if a delay gets introduced, it snowballs throughout the day because there’s no room to catch up.