Airlines often top lists of the most disliked companies, but this year the industry shows signs of improvement. Despite numerous reports about long TSA lines and missed flights, airline customer complaints fell about 12 percent in the first half of 2016 compared with the same period the previous year, according to a report from the Department of Transportation. The DOT recorded 1,492 complaints in June 2016, down 27.1 percent from 2,048 in June 2015, though that figure was up 31.6 percent from May 2016’s total of 1,134.
Complaint categories that declined included customer service, ticketing, fares, delays, cancellations, and missed connections. However, the DOT noted increases in reports alleging discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin, as well as complaints related to the treatment of disabled passengers. Overall, fare-related issues remained the most commonly reported concern.
Among U.S. carriers, American Airlines and United Airlines drew the most complaints, while ExpressJet and Southwest Airlines had the fewest. The data suggest that, while some operational problems persist, the overall passenger experience showed measurable improvement in the first half of 2016.
