In the first half of 2023, travelers filed more than 26,000 official complaints about their experience on U.S. airlines, doubling the number of complaints filed in the first half of 2022.
According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a nonprofit research and advocacy group that utilizes data from the Department of Transportation, a staggering 38,135 complaints were filed. Complaints filed included those against airlines, tour agents, and tour operators, showing travelers’ immense dissatisfaction with the industry’s state.Â
Aggravated Travelers
January 2023 to May 2023 showed a 109% increase in passenger complaints compared to the same period in 2022. While 2020 saw a substantial dip in air travel due to COVID-19, the industry has bounced back, with 14% more travelers in 2023 than the year prior, meaning crowded planes and more unhappy travelers.
Cancelation Improvements
U.S. airlines canceled approximately 1.6% of flights from January to September 2023, which is substantially less than the 2.8% cancelation rate in 2022 during the same time. Despite cancellation improvements from 2022, 35% of all complaints were regarding cancellations, delays, or missed connections.
Alaska, Southwest, United, Hawaiian, and Allegiant Airlines did well, with months that saw cancellation rates of less than 1%. On the other hand, JetBlue canceled 6.8% of flights, and Frontier canceled 5% in one month. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “We are seeing more people flying than ever with fewer cancellations than we have seen in years.”
Refund Requests
While traveler complaints have more than doubled, refunds have not. According to the report, refund requests and associated complaints fell by 12%, which may indicate that people are giving up on getting their money back. Roughly 20% of all complaints this year concerned refunds.
Lost Luggage
According to the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, over two million checked bags were mishandled in the first nine months of 2023, meaning they were lost, damaged, delayed, or missing items. Complaints about mishandled baggage comprised almost 16% of all complaints. While these numbers are not significantly worse than 2022’s, they show a disappointing lack of improvement.
The Future of Flying
While more and more travelers complain about their flying experience, the industry will likely not improve substantially in the coming years. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) reports that demand for air travel is estimated to increase by 4.3% every year for the next two decades.
Air travel has become a necessity for many, putting all the power in the hands of the major airlines and leaving passengers to suffer through delays, cancellations, sky-high prices, mishandled luggage, skiplagging punishments, and more.
