The Department of Transportation saw a drastic increase in consumer complaints about air travel in the first quarter of this year. It was so drastic, in fact, that the department had to delay the release of the data because of the “continued high volume of complaints against airlines and ticket agents.”
According to last week’s Air Travel Consumer Report, the DOT received 24,965 complaints in 2023’s first quarter, which was an 88.4% increase from last year. Because of that increase, the department said it received an $8 million grant to help improve complaint processing.
“The Department anticipates that its new modernized system will be operational in January 2024 and will be further enhanced with (Technology Modernization Fund) funding in the coming years,” the DOT said in the report, adding that it has implemented a temporary fix in the interim.
In a complaint, a consumer is asked to complete an online form that asks for a list of preliminary data, such as name and contact information, as well as flight information. The consumer is also asked to describe his or her problem, question, or comment about the flight.