Airline complaints remain high
Number down from pandemic peak in 2020
Airline complaints are down from their pandemic peak, but passengers are still reporting about four times more problems flying than normal, according to federal transportation data.
Refund denials are the biggest issue right now, followed by flight cancellations, a report by consumer advocacy group Arizona PIRG Education Fund found.
Before COVID-19, fliers filed about 1,000 to 2,000 grievances against airlines monthly to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Complaints spiked to a high of 22,000 in May 2020 as thousands of customers staying home sought refunds, according to the data. With airports nearly empty, grievances dipped, before rising to 7,000 in August as airports came back to life and canceled and delayed flights increased.
Billions in assistance, but problems persist
Airlines must resolve passenger problems more quickly, Arizona PIRG Education Fund Executive Director Diane Brown said, especially since the industry received $50 billion in taxpayer assistance to stay afloat and now is turning a profit.
The industry has made about $2 billion in net revenue so far this year, compared with losing about $31 billion in 2020 and earning about $16 billion in 2019, according to transportation data.
Lawmakers and aviation experts estimate airlines still owe between $10 billion and $20 billion in refunds to customers. Vouchers and flight credits don’t cut it, consumer advocates say.
“The airline industry is failing its customers,” Brown said.
“Taxpayer money was given to the airline industry to stabilize its finances; however, the airlines’ profits are instead flying high at the expense of too many travelers not even getting off the ground,” she added. “Consumer complaints are soaring due to the denial of refunds, canceled and delayed flights, and poor customer service.”
The industry has struggled to staff up after laying off thousands of workers at the start of the pandemic.
Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have gone as far as asking corporate
Frontier, United and Hawaiian airlines have had the most complaints per 100,000 fliers since the spike.
Delta, Hawaiian, and Alaska airlines were the most on-time. Allegiant Air and JetBlue Airways were the least punctual.
Flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale and Denver were the most delayed during the pandemic, the report said. San Francisco and Seattle airports had the fewest delays.
How to protect yourself against flight problems
When booking a flight, consider how many complaints an airline has and its record of punctuality.
Given options of layovers in different cities, look at how reliably the airports get passengers out on time.
If you encounter a problem, first contact the airline.
If the airline does not resolve your issue, call the local agency in charge of the airport and ask where you can file a complaint.
File a complaint with the federal government at transportation.gov/airconsumer/ complaint-process or by writing to the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C. 20590.