A traveler looks for baggage amid rows of unclaimed luggage at Los Angeles International Airport in June.
Traveler Complaints Soar As U.S. Airlines Struggle With Surging Demand
If you’re unhappy about the state of air travel in the U.S., you’re in good company.
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Complaints about U.S. airlines climbed sharply in the first half of the year, consumer advocates say, as passengers remain deeply dissatisfied despite some improvements in performance.
Flight cancellations were down significantly in the first nine months of the year, according to the DOT. Murray called that trend encouraging but said delays and mishandled luggage remain major problems.
“People are still ticked off and unhappy with their airline experience,” she said in an interview. “The complaints are continuing to pour in.”
Travelers filed more than 26,000 formal complaints about U.S. airlines in the first five months of 2023 — more than double the number filed during the same period last year, according to the report, and on pace to break the annual record set in 2022.
The aviation system has struggled to keep pace with a surge in demand, as travel volumes rebounded quickly to pre-pandemic levels. That’s left both the airlines and many air traffic control centers short-staffed.
“We are seeing more people flying than ever with fewer cancellations than we have seen in years,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at a news conference last month.
But at the same time, the number of delays has grown.
The aviation system was largely able to avoid major service disruptions during the recent Thanksgiving holiday. But many travelers haven’t forgotten the meltdown of 2022, when winter storms and a software glitch at Southwest Airlines caused thousands of canceled flights and chaos across the country.
Murray said travelers should brace for another challenging holiday travel season.
