AA DOT Complaints Up 74%, F9 Up 101%

Among the annual air travel data released last week by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the biggest outliers involved consumer complaints. Year over year, the number of complaints per 100,000 enplanements on American Airlines rose from 1.93 to 3.36 — a jump of 74% — while Frontier spiked from 3.92 to 7.86 — up 101%, according to DOT’s Air Travel Consumer Report. Spirit Airlines, which was not measured in 2014, posted an impressive 11.73 complaints per 100,000 enplanements.
Complaints at American Airlines most likely saw an uptick as a function of an extended merger with US Airways. That process introduced many entrenched consumers to new aircraft, staff and policies, creating confusion and unrest along the way. Merging two airlines into one sole reservation and flight system also took its toll; nearly a quarter of reported complaints were regarding flight problems.


The good news, at least for passengers on American Airlines, is that its merger is finally complete and that operations are starting to smooth. As passenger agitation starts to simmer down, the airline — and likely the industry at large — can look forward to a lower volume of complaints.