Air travel complaints nearly tripled in May from same month in 2019

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

By many measures journey is worse than final yr, however this 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 Might, in contrast with solely 814 in the identical month of 2019, in response to 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 Might, up from one in Might 2019.

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

These numbers, the newest out there, do not embrace the chaotic summer season 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 few of the nation’s busiest airspace. American and United executives will face buyers Thursday after they focus on their operations on quarterly earnings calls.

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

“Whereas we can’t recuperate the time misplaced or anxiousness brought about, we’re mechanically 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 duplicate of which was seen by CNBC.

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

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

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

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

– CNBC’s Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.