By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said it has responded to a significant increase in consumer complaints about air travel services as it released data revealing a substantial surge in grievances against airlines and ticket agents during the first quarter of 2023.
The Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR), delayed due to the high volume of complaints, will now showcase consumer submissions, including complaints, inquiries, and opinions, instead of focusing solely on complaints from June 1 to December 31, 2023, DOT officials said. Civil rights complaints will continue to be reported as usual.
In March 2023, the DOT received 7,492 airline service complaints, a 12.8% increase from the previous month. It also represents a significant 70.1% surge compared to March 2022. For the first quarter of 2023, the Department received a staggering 24,965 complaints, indicating an 88.4% increase from the same period in the previous year.
Complaints related to the treatment of passengers with disabilities also saw a notable uptick. In March, the DOT received 224 disability-related complaints, a marked increase from the previous month and a substantial rise compared to March 2022. For the first quarter of 2023, the DOJ registered 636 disability-related complaints, reflecting a notable surge from the previous year.
The DOT announced it would invest in modernizing its consumer complaint application system to address those challenges. The Department secured an $8 million grant from the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to enhance its capabilities further. Officials project the upgraded system to operate by January 2024, with additional improvements planned through TMF funding in subsequent years. The initiative aims to improve the customer experience for the tens of thousands of consumers who use the system each year.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also emphasized the Department’s dedication to ensuring fair treatment for airline passengers, highlighting the importance of data gathered in the ATCR for enforcement activities and rule adequacy assessments.
“The DOT is committed to combating all forms of discrimination and will take action against carriers that violate Federal anti-discrimination statutes,” Buttigieg stated, adding that efforts are underway to enhance lavatory accessibility on single-aisle aircraft and to potentially allow passengers to stay in their own wheelchairs when they fly.
