WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday (Aug 26) released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of June and for the second quarter of 2022 for on-time performance, consumer complaints received, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. There was a 34.9% increase in air travel service complaints from May to June, and complaints are nearly 270 per cent above pre-pandemic levels.
The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. The Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) is monitoring airlines’ operations to ensure that airlines are not engaging in unrealistic scheduling of flights and are complying with aviation consumer protection requirements. This includes ensuring consumers receive prompt refunds if they are no longer interested in continuing their travel when their flights are cancelled or significantly changed.
Flight Operations
The 583,584 flights operated in June 2022 were 85.8% of the 679,802 flights operated in pre-pandemic June 2019. Operated flights in June 2022 were up 3.4% year-over-year from the 564,583 flights operated in June 2021 and down 1.3% month-over-month from the 590,957 flights operated in May 2022.
In June 2022, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 602,057 scheduled domestic flights, 18,473 (3.1%) of which were cancelled. In June 2021, the same airlines reported 573,779 scheduled domestic flights, 9,196 (1.6%) of which were cancelled. In May 2022, airlines scheduled 602,950 domestic flights, of which 11,993 (2.0%) were cancelled. In June 2019, airlines scheduled 694,469 domestic flights, of which 14,667 (2.1%) were cancelled.
June 2022 On-Time Arrival
In June 2022, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 73.5% down from 77.2% in May 2022 and up from 73.3% in pre-pandemic June 2019. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2022 is 75.9%.
Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates June 2022
- Alaska Airlines Network – 78.7%
- Delta Air Lines Network – 78.4%
- Hawaiian Airlines – 77.2%
Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates June 2022
- Allegiant Air – 59.0%
- JetBlue Airways – 61.3%
- Frontier Airlines – 69.5%
For the first six months of 2022, the reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 75.94%, down from 77.41% for the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
June 2022 Flight Cancellations
In June 2022, reporting marketing carriers cancelled 3.1% of their scheduled domestic flights, higher than the rate of 1.6% in June 2021 and higher than the rate of 2.1% in pre-pandemic June 2019.
Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights June 2022
- Hawaiian Airlines – 0.1%
- Alaska Airlines Network – 0.7%
- Frontier Airlines – 1.1%
Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights June 2022
- American Airlines Network – 4.4%
- Delta Air Lines Network – 3.9%
- United Airlines Network – 3.5%
For the first six months of 2022, the reporting marketing carriers posted a cancellation rate of 3.2%, up from 2.4% for the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
Complaints About Airline Service
In June 2022, DOT received 5,862 complaints about airline service from consumers, up 34.9% from the 4,344 complaints received in May 2022 and up 269.6% from the 1,586 complaints received in pre-pandemic June 2019.
For the first six months of 2022, the Department received 28,550 complaints, up 27.8% from the 22,336 filed during the first six months of 2021 and more than the entire year of 2019.
Of the 5,862 complaints received in June 2022, 3,382 (57.7%) were against U.S. carriers, 2,020 (34.5%) were against foreign air carriers, and 460 (7.8%) were against travel companies.
Flight problems were the highest category of the complaints received in June 2022. Of the 5,862 complaints received, 1,686 (28.8%) concerned cancellations, delays, or other deviations from airlines’ schedules.
Also, of the 5,862 complaints received in June 2022, 1,435 (24.5%) concerned refunds.
Tarmac Delays
In June 2022, airlines reported 60 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to 65 tarmac delays reported in May 2022 and 48 tarmac delays reported in June 2019. In June 2022, airlines reported zero tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared to two tarmac delays reported in May 2022 and two tarmac delays reported in June 2019.
Airlines are required to have and adhere to assurances that they will not allow aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing passengers with the option to deplane, subject to exceptions related to safety, security, and Air Traffic Control related reasons. An exception also exists for departure delays if the airline begins to return the aircraft to a suitable disembarkation point to deplane passengers by those times.
The Department investigates extended tarmac delays.
Mishandled Baggage
In June 2022, reporting marketing carriers handled 43 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.71%, a higher rate for the May 2022 rate of 0.56% and equal to the pre-pandemic June 2019 rate of 0.71%.
For the second quarter of 2022, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.63%, higher than the second quarter of 2019 rate of 0.61%.
In the previous three calendar year reports (2019 to 2022), the Department calculated the mishandled baggage rate based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags. The Department is now displaying the mishandled baggage data as a percentage (i.e., per 100 bags enplaned).
