Holiday travelers wait for their luggage after arriving at Salt Lake City International Airport Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Salt Lake City. said Friday that it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. The department said there were so many complaints that it took until July to sort through the filings and compile the figures.So far this year, cancellations remain relatively low — about 1.3% of all flights — but delays are still running around 21%.
Airlines receive many more complaints from travelers who don't know how or don't bother to complain to the government, but the carriers don't release those numbers. The Transportation Department is modernizing its complaint-taking system, which the agency says will help it do a better job overseeing the airline industry. However, the department now releases complaint numbers many months late. It did not issue figures for the second half of 2023 until Friday.Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.