DOT Reports 15.6% Decrease in Air Travel Service Complaints in September
Flight problems rank first in issues, followed by refunds and baggage handling >>
by: Harvey Chipkin
There was a 15.6% decrease in air travel service complaints from August through September compared with the same period in 2021; however, complaints were more than 380% above pre-pandemic levels in September 2019, according to the Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) for September and the third quarter of 2022. Among the findings:
• For the first nine months of 2022, the DOT received 48,737 complaints, up 27.1% from the 38,357 filed during the first nine months of 2021.
• Of the 6,115 complaints received in September 2022, 3,477 (56.9%) were against US carriers, 2,222 (36.3%) were against foreign air carriers, and 413 (6.8%) were against travel companies.
• Flight problems made up the highest category of complaints (32.7%) received in September and concerned cancellations, delays or other deviations from airlines’ schedules.
• Refunds constituted the second highest category of complaints received in September (21.2%).
• Baggage issues made up the third highest category of complaints (18.7%), with 62.3% of them against foreign air carriers and 37.6% against US carriers.
• In September 2022, airlines reported 13 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared with 72 tarmac delays reported in August 2022. In September 2022, airlines reported one tarmac delay of more than four hours on international flights, compared with five tarmac delays reported in August 2022.
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