Complaints to US authorities from travellers are the best because the COVID pandemic when airways had been gradual to refund.
Air journey acquired extra depressing final yr, if the variety of shopper complaints filed with the USA authorities is any measure.
The Division of Transportation mentioned Friday that it acquired practically 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 kind by means of the filings and compile the figures.
That’s the best variety of shopper complaints about airways since 2020, when airways had been gradual to offer prospects refunds after the coronavirus pandemic shut down air journey.
The rise in complaints got here whilst airways cancelled far fewer US flights — 116,700, or 1.2 % of the whole, final yr, in contrast with about 210,500, or 2.3 %, in 2022, in keeping with FlightAware information. Nonetheless, delays remained stubbornly excessive final yr, at about 21 % of all flights.
Greater than two-thirds of all complaints final yr handled US airways, however 1 / 4 lined international airways. Many of the relaxation had 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 had been about race or nationwide origin.
Airways obtain many extra complaints from travellers who have no idea how or don’t hassle to complain to the federal government, however the carriers don’t launch these numbers.
The Transportation Division is modernising its complaint-taking system, which the company says will assist it do a greater job overseeing the airline business. Nonetheless, the division at present releases grievance numbers many months late. It didn’t concern figures for the second half of 2023 till Friday.
