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The 13 biggest air travel complaints of 2018, from flight delays to discrimination and more

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With so many people flying today, problems are bound to occur – and with rising fees, fuel surcharges, restrictive luggage policies and excess charges, it’s no surprise that more than 90% of flyers don’t like flying. 

The experience is so bad, 32 million potential trips never took place in 2016, according to a survey by the U.S. Travel Association. People decided it was not worth the trouble.

To identify the 13 biggest air travel complaints of 2018, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the travel complaints most frequently filed with the Department of Transportation (DOT). The data comes from the Air Travel Consumer Report, a monthly report by the DOT, which has tallied incidents through September 2018.

Safety complaints, which are handled by the Federal Aviation Administration, and security complaints, which are handled by the Transportation Security Administration, are not included.

The U.S. airlines receiving the most reports of each complaint, and the total number of each complaint for foreign airlines, as well as the month in which the most of a given complaint were reported, also came from the Air Travel Consumer Report.

13. Advertising
Total number of complaints: 46
Worst month: September
Worst performing airline: Spirit Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 13

Advertising complaints refer to messages that are perceived by customers as unfair, misleading or offensive. They accounted for less than 1% of total complaints this year and last. The 72 foreign airlines included in the same report received significantly fewer advertising complaints — a total of 13 between January and September 2018.

12. Discrimination
Total number of complaints: 68
Worst month: July 2018
Worst performing airline: American Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 11

Discrimination complaints include civil rights complaints by air travelers (other than disability). They can be based on race, national origin, or religion. Between U.S. and foreign air carriers, American Airlines had the most complaints based on race — a total of 11, as many as all foreign airlines combined — through September 2018.

11. Oversales
Total number of complaints: 334
Worst month: August 2018
Worst performing airline: American Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 126

Oversale complaints cover all bumping problems and whether the airline complied with DOT regulations for overbooking, which require that no one will be denied a seat until the crew asks for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for compensation. About 3% of total air travel complaints with U.S. airlines are about oversales. Carriers, however, are getting better at limiting overbooking — the number of such complaints for almost every month in 2018 was lower than the same month in 2017.

10. Other
Total number of complaints: 393
Worst month: July 2018
Worst performing airline: United Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 138

The “other” category includes complaints by frequent flyers, cargo problems, security, airport facilities, and claims for bodily injury. About half of all complaints are filed by frequent flyers, and the total number has increased since 2017. They complain the most about long security and boarding lines, boarding queues, delays, and long walks on arrival, according to a survey by Oliver Wyman, a global consulting firm.

9. Misconnection
Total number of complaints: 520
Worst month: August 2018
Worst performing airline: N/A
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: N/A

Missed connections fall under the flight problems category. American Airlines had the most flight problems complaints of any U.S. carrier, with a total of 570. The biggest reason for missing connecting flights is airline delays, according to a study by Travelers United, a non-profit. Airlines are not obliged to guarantee their schedules; the DOT’s advice is to plan a trip accordingly. There are no federal requirements for handling passengers who are delayed at the airport.

8. Disability
Total number of complaints: 620
Worst month: August 2018
Worst performing airline: American Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 124

This category includes civil rights complaints by air travelers with disabilities. The total number of complaints went down slightly between January and September 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 — from 664 to 622. Airlines got fewer complaints from people with disabilities, but these represented a slightly higher percentage of total complaints — from 5.8% in 2017 to 7.1% in 2018.

More: Disabled passenger’s bill of rights? Proposed U.K. regulation seeks to make flying easier

More: American Airlines says video footage proves passenger was not abandoned in wheelchair

7. Refunds
Total number of complaints: 1,017
Worst month: September 2018
Worst performing airline: American Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 587

Complaints about refunds include problems in obtaining refunds for unused or lost tickets as well as fare adjustments. The overall number of such complaints, which include carriers and tour operators, has gone up slightly; but the number of refund complaints against U.S. airlines only has gone down. Unlike Europe, there is no specific law or regulation in the United States requiring airlines to refund passengers. The DOT determines whether compensation is warranted on an individual basis.

6. Fares
Total number of complaints: 1,046
Worst month: March 2018
Worst performing airline: United Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 486

Fare complaints include incorrect or incomplete information about fares, discounts, overcharges, and price increases. In addition to airlines, travel agents have also been the subject of a lot of fare complaints — a total of 115 through September 2018, with most of them directed at Justfly and Cheapoair.

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5. Delays
Total number of complaints: 1,215
Worst month: August 2018
Worst performing airline: N/A
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: N/A

Delays fall under the flight problems category, which American Airlines tops. Overall, the number of delay complaints is down by about a quarter since 2017. Most delays occur because a previous flight with the same aircraft arrived late (due to non-extreme weather, problems with airport operations, or heavy traffic volume), causing further delays. and. Technically speaking, delays are down, but it does take longer to complete a flight because airlines are padding their schedules. They are saying it will take longer than anticipated to arrive at your destination, so it looks good when they actually get there “early.”

4. Customer Service
Total number of complaints: 1,241
Worst month: July 2018
Worst performing airline: American Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 371

Customer service complaints include reporting rude or unhelpful employees, inadequate meals or cabin service, and bad treatment of delayed passengers. The DOT also accepts passenger complaints about the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which no longer publishes claims data. There were close to 14,000 complaints against the TSA between January and September 2018, the majority about courtesy and damage to personal property.

3. Reservations, Ticketing, Boarding
Total number of complaints: 1,475
Worst month: August 2018
Worst performing airline: American Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 682

Representing about 10% of all travel complaints, these are claims against an airline or a travel agent for making mistakes in reservations and ticketing, as well as problems making reservations and getting tickets, and problems boarding the aircraft that don’t involve oversales. The online booking sites with the most complaints between January and September 2018 were Justfly and Expedia.

2. Cancellation
Total number of complaints: 1,542
Worst month: August 2018
Worst performing airline: N/A
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: N/A

Cancellations fall under the flight problems category, which American Airlines tops. Carriers appear to be getting better at not canceling flights; the number of complaints filed with the DOT was down by a third, from 2,242 between January and September 2017 to 1,542 in the same period in 2018.

1. Baggage
Total number of complaints: 2,131
Worst month: August 2018
Worst performing airline: American Airlines
Number of complaints with foreign airlines: 1,207

Claims for lost, damaged or delayed baggage, charges for excess baggage, carry-on problems, and difficulties with airline claims procedures are the biggest category of air travel complaints. Baggage complaints represent nearly 13% of all complaints in 2018. The situation is not getting much better; roughly the same number of claims were filed in the January to September period in both 2017 and 2018. Data reported by the airlines show an increase — 1.2 million baggage reports last year compared to almost 1.4 million so far in 2018 — with the worst-performing airline being Southwest.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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Tucson Food Scene Highlighted in United Airlines Flights (VIDEO)

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United Airlines Expands Latin American Service

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United Airlines announced expanded service between the U.S. and 19 countries in Central and South America by partnering with Copa and Avianca airlines. Here’s what you need to know about the partnership:

  • The cities and routes are not confirmed yet. This partnership is expected to yield seamless service between more than 12,000 city pairs. Those cities have yet to be officially identified.
  • You’ll have access to additional nonstop flights, too. The agreement isn’t just to increase the number of cities, though. For example, United already has flights to Panama City. However, you may get access to more nonstop flights as Panama City is the hub of Copa.
  • Connecting flights from the U.S. will be timed better with Central and South American connections. One of the lesser-known benefits of partnership agreements can be that partnering airlines will work to align flights with connections.
  • Star Alliance partners such as United would be able to use frequent flyer miles on these new routes. Avianca and Copa will open seats to members of United’s frequent flyer program and members of partner airlines in the Star Alliance.
  • The agreement isn’t approved yet. While expected to be approved by the U.S. and Latin American governments, tickets won’t be sold until the approval is official. Brazil may be added to the package at a later date.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2018, including those best for:

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Air travel for disabled passengers ‘on the up’

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Air travel could become smoother and less fraught for disabled passengers if a new charter for airlines and airports is adopted, say ministers.

Disabled flyers have long complained of lost or damaged wheelchairs, struggles with access on planes and in airports, and poor customer service.

If adopted, the charter would remove the £2,000 limit on payouts for damaged wheelchairs.

It would also enforce better training for airline crews and baggage handlers.

In the longer term, the charter would encourage the industry to look at ways to allow people to take their own wheelchairs into aircraft cabins.

  • Paraplegic man drags himself through airport
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  • Pledge over wheelchair users’ bus access

More than half (57%) of passengers with a disability say they find flying and using airports difficult, according to a survey by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Accessibility minister Nusrat Ghani said that statistic needed to be addressed and the proposed charter included measures to make “real changes”.

“We are committed to continuing the progress the industry has already made in making the aviation network truly open to all,” she said.

Chris Wood, from campaign group Flying Disabled, said the charter was what they had been working towards.

“My aspiration is to have people flying in their own wheelchairs to a destination within two years and it looks as if the UK could lead the way in making this happen,” he said.

Image caption

Frank Gardner was stranded in an empty plane for nearly two hours

Frank Gardner, who travels widely for his job as BBC security correspondent, has shared some of his own experiences to highlight the obstacles faced by wheelchair users.

In March, on his way back from Ethiopia, he was stranded on an empty aircraft for almost two hours after staff said they had lost his wheelchair.

At the time, he said: “That is your legs gone – it is a basic human right”.

Mr Gardner, who has used a wheelchair since being shot in Saudi Arabia in 2004, has spoken of airports having a “casual disregard” for disabled passengers.

Last year a paraplegic athlete dragged himself along the floor through Luton Airport after his self-propelling wheelchair was left behind on a flight.

And in November a man with a spinal problem was taken to hospital after he collapsed at Heathrow Airport while waiting for a booked wheelchair that failed to turn up.

Media captionJustin Levene said the airport couldn’t provide an adequate wheelchair last August

Analysis: Changes welcome but how long to wait?

By BBC disability news correspondent Nikki Fox

When it comes to flying, if you have a disability, physical or invisible, the problems are never ending and progress slow.

This Passenger Charter pinpoints some of the key issues for disabled passengers – increasing the limit on lost or damaged mobility equipment, better training for staff and getting wheelchairs on planes.

All will be welcomed by disabled people and those who have been campaigning for change.

What is unclear is how this will all work.

The government will have to find a way of getting around the Montreal Convention – a set of rules the aviation industry has had to follow since the 1990s.

One of those being how much an airline has to reimburse a passenger for lost, broken and often expensive, wheelchairs.

There is also no clear indication of how long it will take to see real change.

At the moment, these new measures will feed into the government’s aviation strategy, but as yet, no date has been set.

Some airports are already introducing measures to improve the experience for disabled flyers.

At Gatwick, one of the airport lounges has been specifically designed for passengers who require assistance and some security lanes are now accessible for passengers with a range of disabilities and staffed by people trained to recognise and respond to their needs.

Gatwick’s chief operating officer Chris Woodruffe said “Flying can be a challenge for people with a disability and airports, in partnership with airlines, can change that by improving their practices and infrastructure so that everyone has an equal opportunity to fly.”

The government’s aviation strategy has been supported by Airlines UK, an association representing 13 airlines, including British Airways, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic.

The charter is part of the government’s aviation strategy which will be considered in a 16-week consultation, due to begin this month. The government says the policy will be finalised next year.

The Biggest Air Travel Complaints of 2018

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By December 7, 2018 1:28 pm EST

Global air travel has boomed from 310 million passengers carried in 1970 to 4 billion in 2017. Domestic and foreign airlines serving the United States carried a record 965 million passengers last year, an increase of 3.4% from the previous record high of 933.1 million in 2016.

Problems are bound to occur with so many people flying. With rising fees, fuel surcharges, restrictive luggage policies, and excess charges, it’s no surprise that more than 90% of flyers don’t like flying. People dislike researching and booking a flight. Half of travelers find checking in and getting through security the most stressful part of traveling.

The experience is so bad, 32 million potential trips never took place in 2016, according to a survey by the U.S. Travel Association. People decided it was not worth the trouble.

Flight problems account for the most air travel complaints by far — around 40 percent of all complaints. They are broken down into three major categories — delays, misconnections and cancellations.

To identify the 14 biggest air travel complaints of 2018, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the travel complaints most frequently filed with the Department of Transportation (DOT). The complaints are categorized by industry group, such as U.S. airlines and tour operators. The data comes from the Air Travel Consumer Report, a monthly report by the DOT, which has tallied incidents through September 2018.

Safety complaints, which are handled by the Federal Aviation Administration, and security complaints, which are handled by the Transportation Security Administration, are not included.

The U.S. airlines receiving the most reports of each complaint, and the total number of each complaint for foreign airlines, as well as the month in which the most of a given complaint were reported, also came from the Air Travel Consumer Report.

Click here to read about the biggest air travel complaints of 2018.

Pack your patience: AMA offers tips on holiday air travel

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The holidays can be one of the busiest times to fly in and out of the Grande Prairie Airport. Because of that, the Alberta Motor Association has offered some tips on how to make travel as smooth as possible. AMA Members Services Manager Roland VanMeurs says that when it comes to holiday air travel, patience is key.

“The number one thing you have to make sure you have is patience… Depending on what mother nature decides to do with us during that time period, sometimes you can see delays and sometimes it runs smooth but patience is definitely something you have to have.”

Other tips include; doing as much as possible in advance, such as check-in and seat selection, making sure all liquids, gels and sharp items are packed in checked bags, cross pack items with other travellers in your group in case one person’s luggage goes missing and make sure you have valid documentation on you at all times.

When it comes to travelling with presents, VanMeurs says it’s best to keep them unwrapped.

“Don’t wrap them. Make sure you wrap them when you get to your destination because if they do want to see what’s in it, that wrapping paper will come off.”

VanMeurs also says that if you have small gifts worth a lot of money, pack those in your carry on as long as it’s not a liquid or sharp item. Other larger gifts should be checked in your suitcase.

United launches new ‘premium economy’ class between coach and business for some of its longest flights

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Airlines

Don’t want to shell out $7,000 for business class but fretting spending a 16-hour flight crammed in coach? United Airlines is rolling out a new class of service for travelers looking for something between the two extremes on some of its longest international flights.

United started selling seats in so-called premium economy class on Monday. Travelers willing to pay more than the regular coach-class fare will get bigger seats with deeper reclines than those in regular economy, amenity kits, free alcoholic beverages and noise-reducing headphones, among other perks.


Other airlines around the world — including United’s closest competitors at home, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines — already offer a version of premium economy and are in the process of expanding it to more aircraft. It is part of airlines’ efforts to slice their cabins into new sections to encourage passengers to pay higher fares to avoid the skimpiest services.

The price of a ticket aboard United’s version varies depending on the route and demand, but an April 12-19, 2019, trip from Newark to Hong Kong showed up as $1,071, while a seat in premium economy was close to $3,660. Business class for the same route was $7,050.

United said the premium economy class, which it is calling “Premium Plus,” will be on 21 international routes by May and service will begin on some international flights starting on March 30, 2019.

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United Airlines for talks with Guyana gov’t

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With one major United States carrier already plying routes here, the Guyana Government is upbeat that another may fly here as United Airlines will soon be meeting with officials to discuss the possibility of entering this market.

American Airlines made its inaugural flight to Guyana on November 15th last.  The airline is now offering four flights per week from Georgetown to Miami and will subsequently add more flights to its schedule.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson yesterday told Stabroek News that officials from United Airlines will be meeting with Guyana Civil Aviation Authority officials soon. From those talks, Ferguson says that government hopes that the airline will propose to fly here and believes that 2019 would be a good year for that to happen.

“Obviously we here in Guyana would want any additional airline coming to our shores. With more airlines coming on stream, it is a positive for Guyana because I guess what will also happen is we have more stable travel costs,” she said.

“Persons would now have a preference to travel with American Airlines, United Airlines, Caribbean Airlines, COPA…all that we have existing in the market. I am really really happy that other airlines have been signalling their intentions of coming to operate in Guyana. 2018 is coming to an end, so the prospects look good for 2019 hopefully of United coming,“ she added.

During a recent interview, United States Ambassador Perry Holloway, told the media that while he could not say if other US airlines are going to come to Guyana, he knows that officials from  United Airlines are scheduled  for talks.

“United [Airlines] is interested in coming to talk. Don’t put that United is coming next week because they are not. But it makes sense because the capital of the oil industry is in Houston, Texas and one of United’s hubs is Houston, Texas. I would expect that one of the airlines that would be most interested is United Airlines. I don’t know a lot about the other airlines. I don’t have much to say about those guys I don’t know if they are good or bad,” Holloway said.

 “Not only does it promote greater commerce but it promotes greater people to people interaction, whether that is education, culture or business. I have to tell you when I got here three years ago, one of things that stood out is, that a foreigner likes least about Guyana is how hard it is to get here and how hard it is to get back home. It is a challenge. It has gotten better in three years I think, with American Airlines, for the Americans. It has gotten dramatically better,” he posited.

But with most Guyanese living in the United States Tri State Area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, he believes that a direct Georgetown to New York flight is needed. “I think the thing that is missing somehow, how you get it I don’t know, but obviously…somehow we need to get another flight to New York.  That is what I think needs to be done. But how you do that I don’t know,” he said.

Gate 41 Was Closed at George Bush Airport in Houston Yesterday in Honor of the Late President

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United Airlines paid tribute to the 41st president, George H.W. Bush, on the day of his funeral by temporarily closing gate 41 at the Houston airport that was named in his honor.

On Wednesday, the day of Bush’s state funeral in Washington, D.C., the airline suspended operations at Terminal C’s gate 41 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and turned it into a memorial in his honor. The gate was adorned with photos of the late president and his wife, Barbara, accompanied by an American flag and a wreath.

The crew also left a note that read “Fly High George,” and changed the automated gate monitor to read “In Memory of George H.W. Bush.”

“As the namesake of our hub in Houston, President George H. W. Bush is synonymous with the city he loved,” a spokesperson for United Airlines tells PEOPLE in a statement. “We joined the nation in honoring his legacy by closing gate 41 yesterday and today as a tribute to our president and a true American patriot.”

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In a separate area of the airport, travelers placed flowers around a statue of the president, who passed away on Nov. 30 at the age of 94. President Donald Trump declared Wednesday a day of mourning, and issued a proclamation that all flags should fly at half-staff for 30 days in Bush’s honor.

According to local news outlet K Hou 11, employees at the airport said passengers were taking extra time to take photos of the decorated statue and read about the former president, who was once a naval aviator.

“We’re proud to bear his name,” Bill Begley with Houston’s Airport System told the outlet. “We’ll make sure his legacy is honored properly.”

According to Begley, the statue was erected in the airport in 1997, but has a different weight today.

WATCH THIS: George W. Bush Cries During Emotional Eulogy of Father George H.W.

“This art piece is preserving his memory, enhancing his memory and reminding people about they cared so much for him as a president and person,” he said.

In the capital, the former president and war hero was honored by moving eulogies from family and political peers — including his son George W. Bush — during a funeral service at the National Cathedral. Bush’s coffin was then taken back to his home state of Texas.

Following a funeral service at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas on Thursday, his remains are being transported by “4141” to College Station. From there, his coffin will be taken to the George Bush Presidential Library Museum at Texas AM University, where he will be buried next to his late wife, Barbara Bush, and their daughter Robin, who passed away in 1953 at the age of three.

RELATED: George H.W. Bush’s Funeral Train Is the First Presidential Funeral Train in 49 Years

“Every day of his 73 years of marriage, dad taught us all what it means to be a great husband. … He was dedicated to her totally,” reflected his son, George W., on Wednesday. He is one of Bush’s five surviving children.

He later added, “We’re going to miss you. … So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man. …The best man a son or daughter could have. … And in our grief, let us know that dad is hugging Robin and holding mom’s hand again.”