The Department of Transportation hasn’t published consumer complaint data since July 2023, although the agency has tackled more issues related to those complaints.
In May 2023 , theDepartment of Transportationreported 4,425 complaints about experiences with airlines in its monthlyAir Travel Consumer Report . This is a 200 % jump from the yr prior , when the agency received 2,411 complaints .
We ca n’t describe on how many ill have been charge each month — or with which airline — since then because the department has n’t publish any data since the summer of 2023 .
Generally , DOT recommends that when travelers have a ailment about a flight of steps experience — a refund or luggage issue , a disablement - relate incident , an animal - related consequence , or discrimination , among many other things — they file it directly with the airline . If they ’re not satisfied with the airline ’s response , then they can file with DOT directly . While the number of complaints does n’t seem high equate to the turn of people in the US who fly each month—2.9 million people vanish each day — the feat it postulate to file a schematic complaint with DOT after already filing with the airway regarding an experience likely affects those figure .
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Michele Erwin , beginner and president ofAll Wheels Up , an advocacy group work to increase accessibility and improve air transit for passengers with disabilities , says that the conclusion to file a complaint typically total from a really spoiled experience . “ For someone to go beforehand and make a courtly charge , that means that person was negatively impacted and they want their voice heard if they ’re go away to make that supernumerary step , ” Erwin say . “ We discover it at All Wheels Up all the time . They just want to move on . They want to get on with their trip , get on with their life-time . ”
This data point is basically Yelp for passenger with disabilities , she says . That is , this selective information is combine with social media to help oneself people make decisions about which airlines to ledger with , and which ones to avoid .
“ They have to go somewhere to find out who they want to vanish with , ” Erwin sound out . “ However , it really should n’t be up to social medium to inform the consumer on the bad practices of an airline . ”
An increase in the number of complaints might seem sorry ; more ailment can mean more mistreated rider . But that ’s not completely true . More complaint could also be a sign that DOT ’s day-and-night campaign to increasepassenger rightsand public cognizance are actually working . In the retiring two old age , there ’s been a deluge ofrules and regulationsset forth by the agency to better regulate the airline industriousness .
But , whatever the rationality complaint increased between 2022 and 2023 , we do n’t roll in the hay if that ’s stay on-key for any month after May 2023 because that consumer charge data has not been made available to the public .
“ give the continued eminent volume of melody travelling overhaul complaints , the Department decided to change how it processes consumer ill prior to the launch of its modernized consumer complaint database system of rules , ” a spokesperson from DOT enjoin Thrillist . “ Rather than continuing to code consumer complaint received , which leaves lilliputian time to analyze these complaints , staff in the Department ’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection have prioritized analyzing charge for enforcement cases . ”
The enforcement in interrogative has been historic : Southwest was charged$140 million in finesfor its 2022 vacation meltdown , lead in money back for passengers .
But even with notable wins like this , the lack of monthly consumer complaint data leaves an information col . The data not only divvy up the number of complaints regarding each family , but which airline receive the Leo the Lion part of the complaint for a specific issuing . For instance , in May 2023,American Airlinesreceived the most handicap - pertain complaints ( 38 of 221 ) , which was also the case the month prior . ( you could , however , see how many wheelchair and scooters were mishandled by airway ; In January 2024 , Spirit Airlines mishandled 3.5 per every 100 emplane . )
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But fortunately , the data is n’t go for good . DOT has plan to share the data from June 2023 until December 31 , 2023 by June 2024 . The department also plans to launch a Modern system that will let the DOT to more effectively computer address consumer complaints .
“ DOT is explicate a fresh overhaul consumer complaint database system to have complaint from consumers who experience melodic phrase travel servicing problems , ” DOT told Thrillist in a assertion . “ The anterior system required manual steganography of every complaint that DOT get against airway and ticket federal agent , which took considerable stave sentence . The Department anticipates that this new modernized organization will be operational in summer 2024 and will be further enhanced in the come years . ”
In the meantime , if you ’ve beget a charge about a recent flight , do n’t hesitate to file your own complaint . You canfile with DOT online here . And if you ’d wish to see how every airline compares when it comes to mishandled luggage , flight of steps delays , and more , now you knowwhere to look .
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