The US DOT says in June, airline passengers filed 5,862 complaints, compared to just 1,586 in June, 2019 before the pandemic. Of the June complaints, 29% were about flight problems, such as cancellations and delays, and 24% were about problems getting refunds.
Recently, the Aviation Consumer Protection Office concluded an investigation of ten airlines. It now plans to penalize them for extreme delays in refunding passengers for cancelled and delayed flights.
Four airlines serve the Quad Cities International Airport - Allegiant, American, Delta, and United. Delta ranked second in the highest "on-time arrival rates" in June. But Allegiant had the worst "on-time arrival rate."
The air travel report also says American, Delta, and United airlines ranked "one, two, and three" for the highest rates of canceled flights.
Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg challenged US airlines to improve customer service. And the DOT will create an interactive dashboard before Labor Day. That should make it easier for people to learn what services are available when cancellations and lengthy delays are under the control of the airline.
