U.S. Cites Airlines’ ‘Effort,’ Wants More

Airlines are making a “genuine effort” to improve customer service though passengers still need more information on fare policies and what to expect during long delays, the Department of Transportation said.

The department’s inspector general assessed a 12-point consumer protection plan the airlines created last year while under congressional pressure to improve service. The plan included promises to offer the lowest fares, return misrouted bags within a day and give passengers at least 24 hours to decide whether to buy a ticket.

Complaints about airlines doubled last year to more than 17,000, with an additional 74% increase in the first four months of this year, the Transportation Department said. Airlines receive 300 or 400 complaints for every formal protest made to the agency, and flight delays have risen 50% over five years, the report said.

The airlines’ plan doesn’t directly address “the underlying reasons for customer dissatisfaction, such as extensive flight delays, baggage not showing up on arrival, long check-in lines and high fares in certain markets,” the report said.

The carriers need more consistent practices for compensating passengers bumped from overbooked flights and formal procedures for handling passengers who are subjected to extended delays, the report said.