Pete Buttigieg Secretary of Transportation | Facebook Website
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data for February 2024, which includes information on on-time performance, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. The ATCR aims to provide consumers with insights into the quality of services offered by airlines.
In February 2024, only 0.6% of flights were cancelled, a significant decrease from the 1.8% cancellation rate in February 2023 and the 3.2% rate in pre-pandemic February 2019. The DOT anticipates that airlines will continue to fulfill their obligations to consumers when flights are cancelled or delayed due to airline issues.
After a two-year push by the DOT to enhance passenger experience, the ten largest airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline. Nine out of these ten also guarantee hotel accommodations. In addition, DOT has urged airlines to offer fee-free family seating and has launched a new dashboard highlighting those airlines that comply with this request.
Recently, DOT announced two final rules requiring airlines to provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed and protect consumers from unexpected airline fees. These rules are expected to significantly expand consumer protections in air travel, facilitate easier access to refunds when due, and save consumers over half a billion dollars annually in hidden fees.
The DOT is also working towards improving transportation for individuals with disabilities. In July 2023, it finalized a rule requiring airlines to make lavatories on new single-aisle aircraft more accessible. Then in February 2024, it proposed further measures aimed at addressing barriers faced by wheelchair users during air travel.
In terms of enforcement action against non-compliant airlines and ticket agents, DOT issued its largest fines ever in 2023 including a $140 million penalty against Southwest Airlines for failing passengers during the holiday season of 2022.
In April, DOT launched the bipartisan Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with 18 state attorneys general to investigate airlines and ticket agents and hold them accountable for violating aviation consumer protection laws.
The ATCR also includes detailed data on flight operations, on-time arrivals, flight cancellations, complaints about airline service, tarmac delays, mishandled baggage and wheelchairs/scooters, bumping/oversales and incidents involving animals. The Department is investing in modernizing its system for handling consumer complaints to improve customer experience and enable more effective oversight of the airline industry.
