Air travel conditions are getting worse. That's what passengers are telling the U.S. government

WASHINGTON Air traffic has gotten even worse in the past year, according to the number of consumer complaints filed with the U.S. government.

The Transportation Department said Friday it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the previous year. The department said there were so many complaints that it took until July to sort through the files and compile the numbers.

It's the highest number of consumer complaints against airlines since 2020, when they were slow to refund customers after the coronavirus pandemic shut down air travel.

The increase in complaints came even as airlines canceled far fewer flights in the United States: 116,700, or 1.2% of the total, last year, compared with about 210,500, or 2.3%, in 2022, according to FlightAware data. However, delays remained stubbornly high last year, at about 21% of all flights.

So far this year, cancellations remain relatively low, around 1.3% of all flights, but delays still hover around 21%.

Last year, more than two-thirds of the complaints involved U.S. airlines, but a quarter involved foreign airlines. Most of the rest involved travel agencies and tour operators.

Complaints about the treatment of passengers with disabilities increased by more than a quarter compared to 2022. Complaints about discrimination, while few in number, also increased sharply. Most concerned race or national origin.

Vacationers wait for their luggage after arriving at Salt Lake City International Airport on Wednesday. Rick Bowmer/AP

The Transportation Department said the increase in complaints is partly due to more consumers knowing their rights and having the ability to file a complaint. The department said it helped Southwest Airlines customers get more than $600 million in refunds and compensation after the carrier canceled nearly 17,000 flights in December 2022. Southwest also paid a $35 million fine.

Airlines receive many more complaints from travelers who don't know how or don't bother to complain to the government, but carriers don't disclose those numbers.

The Department of Transportation is modernizing its complaints system, which the agency says will help it better oversee the airline industry. However, the department is now releasing complaint figures several months late. It only released figures for the second half of 2023 on Friday.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/air-travel-getting-worse-transportation-department-rcna160552 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos