Airline complaints nearly tripled in May from same month in 2019

Staffing shortages. Delays. Misplaced baggage. Large strains. Excessive fares. Air vacationers in 2022 have a lot to complain about.

By many measures journey is worse than final yr, however here is how this yr’s issues examine with earlier than the pandemic:

• The U.S. Division of Transportation recorded 2,413 complaints in opposition to U.S. airways in Could, in contrast with solely 814 in the identical month of 2019, based on a report revealed Wednesday.
• Complaints referring to flight cancellations, delays and missed connections greater than doubled since earlier than the pandemic.
• Compliments for these airways rose to 2 acquired in Could, up from one in Could 2019.

This previous Could, simply 77.2% of flights to U.S. airports arrived on time, down from 77.9% in Could of 2019.

These numbers, the newest accessible, do not embody the chaotic summer time rush which has compelled airways like United, Delta and others to trim their schedules. The difficulties additionally prompted an intervention from the FAA over congestion in a number of the nation’s busiest airspace. American and United executives will face traders Thursday once they talk about their operations on quarterly earnings calls.

Delta on Wednesday despatched members of its frequent flyer program 10,000 miles due to latest disruptions if these clients flights have been cancelled or delayed greater than three hours for journeys from Could 1 by way of the primary week week of July.

“Whereas we can’t get better the time misplaced or nervousness triggered, we’re routinely depositing 10K miles towards your SkyMiles account as a dedication to do higher for you going ahead and restore the Delta Distinction we’re able to,” stated the e-mail, a replica of which was seen by CNBC.

The DOT additionally recorded a soar in complaints about baggage with over 516 baggage-related points reported in Could 2022, up from 190 three years in the past. Nonetheless, the speed of mishandled luggage — misplaced, broken, delayed, or pilfered — are literally decrease than the identical month of 2019, with 0.56 out of 100 enplaned luggage in Could, down from 0.63 per 100 luggage in Could three years earlier.

Mishandlings of wheelchairs and scooters throughout the 2 durations was equally regular. Whereas complete mishandlings elevated by 159 incidents, the proportion of such occurrences was related, at about 1.53% in Could.

The speed and variety of mishandled luggage in addition to wheelchairs and scooters, nevertheless, was up from final yr.

Learn the Could 2022 report right here, and the Could 2019 report right here.

– CNBC’s Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.