The Transportation Department has launched a new filing and processing system for complaints against airlines and travel agencies/ticket agents, which it says will substantially speed complaint resolution.
The DOT says the new Aviation Complaint, Enforcement, and Reporting System (ACERS) has replaced the previous 1990s-era system, enabling real-time processing and submission of complaints. Travel agencies and airlines can now view complaints immediately in the ACERS portal, and they'll also receive automated email notifications of complaints.
Previously, analysts in the department's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection manually processed and sent complaints to the airlines and travel agencies, a process which took over a month, The DOT said.
The updated complaint system also allows flyers to track the status of their submission and to communicate with travel agencies, airlines and Office of Aviation Consumer Protection analysts.
In addition, said the DOT, the new system "allows for additional information fields, which will better ensure the consumer's specific concerns are more comprehensively captured."