Air travel got more miserable last year, if the number of consumer complaints filed with the U.S. government is any measure.The Transportation Department said F
Holiday travelers wait for their luggage after arriving at Salt Lake City International Airport Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Salt Lake City. Air travel got more miserable last year, if the number of consumer complaints filed with the U.S. government is any measure.
That's the highest number of consumer complaints about airlines since 2020, when airlines were slow to give customers refunds after the coronavirus pandemic shut down air travel.The increase in complaints came even as airlines canceled far fewer U.S. flights — 116,700, or 1.2% of the total, last year, compared with about 210,500, or 2.3%, in 2022, according to FlightAware data. However, delays remained stubbornly high last year, at around 21% of all flights.
More than two-thirds of all complaints last year dealt with U.S. airlines, but a quarter covered foreign airlines. Most of the rest were about travel agents and tour operators. The Transportation Department said the increase in complaints was partly the result of more consumers knowing about their rights and the ability to file a complaint. The department said it helped Southwest Airlines customers get more than $600 million in refunds and reimbursements after the carrier canceled nearly 17,000 flights during December 2022. Southwest also paid a $35 million fine.
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