Customer complaints against
U.S. airlines surged 30% last year to 20,170, a number swelled by the addition
of Spirit Airlines to the tally, according to a report filed by the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division.
But even when excluding Spirit,
complaints rose 16% in 2015, as airlines struggled with baggage handling,
flight delays and customer service.
Ultra-low-cost Spirit generated
11.73 complaints per 100,000 enplanements, which was more than six times the
1.9 average among the 13 U.S. carriers tracked by the DOT. Another ultra-low-cost
carrier, Frontier, generated 7.86 complaints per 100,000 enplanements, second
worst on the list. The number of complaints against Frontier increased 123% in
2015.
American Airlines, whose
stats now include the absorbed US Airways, had the worst mark among
the Big 4 carriers with 3.36 complaints per 100,000 enplanements. United
generated 2.85, Delta 0.74 and Southwest 0.52.
Southwest had the
second-best ratio among all 13 carriers, and Alaska Airlines was atop the list
at 0.50.
Complaints stemming from
baggage issues rose 17% in 2015, while reservations/ticketing/boarding
operations generated 20% more complaints. Complaints from flight cancellations
and delays, which combined to account for almost a quarter of all complaints,
rose 17% and 51%, respectively.