Sharp rise in complaints point at deteriorating quality of air travel in the US

The quality of air travel in the US appears to be deteriorating, as evidenced by a substantial increase in consumer complaints, according to the latest information from the US Transportation Department, Associated Press reported.

In the first quarter of this year, the department received 24,965 complaints about airline services, marking a sharp 88% surge from the same period in 2022. The trend continued with 6,712 complaints in April (a 32% increase from the previous year) and 6,465 in May (a 49% rise).

Disability-related complaints, such as delays or damage to wheelchairs, have also seen a significant uptick, with 636 complaints in the first quarter—almost double the 380 filed during the same period in 2022. The Transportation Department has assured that it thoroughly investigates each disability-related complaint.

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Moreover, the department revealed an investigation was conducted into "several domestic airlines" which were suspected of potentially offering flight schedules that they may not be able to fulfill. While Southwest Airlines recently disclosed notification of a possible fine for insufficient assistance during a service meltdown in December, the department declined to identify other airlines under investigation for their scheduling practices.

Despite the thousands of complaints reported to the government, consumers continue to file numerous additional complaints directly with the airlines. Despite the thousands of complaints reported to the government, consumers continue to file numerous additional complaints directly with airlines too.

Meanwhile, International air passenger traffic surged by 171% in the first nine months of 2023, marking robust demand, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). Although Asia Pacific's international air passengers reached 79% of 2019 levels in September 2023, the region faced delayed border reopenings compared to other parts of the world. AAPA noted a remarkable growth in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), up 171% from the same period in 2022. However, available seat kilometers (ASK) increased at a slower rate of 130%, influenced by supply chain challenges impacting aircraft deliveries.