Consumers in February reported nearly 6,650 air service complaints, up 78 percent year over year, but down nearly 39 percent from the more than 10,800 received in January 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.
The agency has been delaying its consumer air complaint data since December 2022 due to the “increase in consumer complaints received this calendar year compared with the prior two years,” according to DOT.
Of the February 2023 complaints received, 66 percent were against U.S. carriers, 29 percent were against foreign carriers and nearly 5 percent were against travel companies. Of the U.S. carriers tracked, Southwest Airlines had the highest number of February complaints at 843, followed by Frontier Airlines at 724 and American Airlines at 672.
Flight problems, which include cancellations, delays or other deviations from airlines’ schedules, received the highest number of complaints at 2,115 (32 percent). Of that figure, cancellations were the top issue with 1,278 complaints.
Refunds comprised the second-highest category with 1,449 complaints (22 percent), while baggage issues received 1,071, (16 percent).
