The U.S. Department of Transportation recently updated reports on its airline service submissions received, which include complaints, inquiries and opinions. The agency had last reported these figures in September 2024 for the months January through May.
The number of full-year 2024 air-service submissions DOT received totaled more than 97,900, up from the 96,850 reported in 2023. U.S. carriers accounted for nearly 75 percent of the submissions, followed by foreign carriers at more than 22 percent and travel agents at nearly 2 percent. Though the total submissions increased only slightly, mainly due to a decline in foreign carrier and travel agent submissions, the number submitted for U.S. carriers increased by 8.3 percent year over year to nearly 73,270.
DOT also released monthly submission data for June through December 2024.
June 2024: Total air service submissions declined 8.9 percent year over year to nearly 8,400. U.S. carriers accounted for 77 percent of the total, while foreign carriers had 20 percent. The 10 largest reporting U.S. carriers saw their submissions decline 4.9 percent to nearly 6,300.
July 2024: Total air service submissions increased 38 percent year over year to about 17,300, with U.S. carriers accounting for nearly 87 percent of the total and foreign carriers just under 13 percent. The 10 largest reporting U.S. carriers saw submissions increase nearly 58 percent to about 13,850. This was the month in which the Crowdstrike global IT outage affected flights, particularly for Delta Air Lines.
August 2024: Total air service submissions increased 44 percent year over year to nearly 14,600. U.S. carriers accounted for 81 percent of the figure, with foreign carriers at 17 percent. The submissions for the largest 10 reporting U.S. carriers increased 61 percent to more than 11,500.
September 2024: Total air service submissions increased 2.3 percent year over year to about 7,700, with U.S. carriers accounting for 70.5 percent of the total and foreign carriers at more than 25 percent. The 10 largest reporting U.S. carriers received nearly 5,300 submissions, representing a 6.4 percent increase year over year.
October 2024: Total air service submissions increased 22 percent year over year to about 7,050, with U.S. carriers accounting for 69 percent of the total and foreign carriers at 27 percent. Submissions for the 10 largest reporting U.S. airlines increased more than 33 percent year over year to about 4,760.
November 2024: Total air service submissions increased 18 percent year over year to nearly 5,650. U.S. carriers accounted for about 67 percent of that total, with foreign carriers receiving nearly 29 percent. The 10 largest reporting U.S. carriers saw November submissions increase nearly 26 percent to 3,700.
December 2024: Total air service submissions increased 24.5 percent year over year to nearly 6,800. U.S. carriers accounted for nearly 71 percent of that figure, with foreign carriers at nearly 27 percent. The 10 largest reporting U.S. carriers saw submissions increase nearly 42 percent to 4,600.
DOT last released detailed U.S. airline and ticket agent complaint data in November 2023 for the months of March, April and May of that year in its Air Travel Consumer Report. The agency then changed its reporting to submissions—complaints, inquiries and opinions—because DOT said it was revising how it processed air travel service complaints "given the continued high volume" of such complaints. It last reported submission data in
The most recent Air Travel Consumer Report noted that DOT is still working to modernize its database, and the agency will continue to report submissions "until the date its system is modernized."
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