OST 25-22
Contact: pressoffice@dot.gov
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of June and for the second quarter of 2022 for on-time performance, consumer complaints received, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. There was a 34.9% increase in air travel service complaints from May to June, and complaints are nearly 270 percent above pre-pandemic levels.
The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. DOT remains committed to ensuring airline passengers are treated fairly and is concerned about recent flight cancellations and flight disruptions. The Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) is monitoring airlines’ operations to ensure that airlines are not engaging in unrealistic scheduling of flights and are complying with aviation consumer protection requirements. This includes ensuring consumers receive prompt refunds if they are no longer interested in continuing their travel when their flights are cancelled or significantly changed.
Also, last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent a letter to U.S. airlines challenging airlines to improve their customer service plans and announced that the Department will create an interactive dashboard before Labor Day to make it easier for the traveling public to determine the services such as hotels and meals that would be provided to them when the cause of a cancellation or a lengthy delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control.
DOT uses the data from the ATCR, consumer complaints, and other information it secures from the airlines to inform its enforcement activities and the adequacy of existing rules.
Flight Operations
The 583,584 flights operated in June 2022 were 85.8% of the 679,802 flights operated in pre-pandemic June 2019. Operated flights in June 2022 were up 3.4% year-over-year from the 564,583 flights operated in June 2021 and down 1.3% month-over-month from the 590,957 flights operated in May 2022.
In June 2022, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 602,057 scheduled domestic flights, 18,473 (3.1%) of which were canceled. In June 2021, the same airlines reported 573,779 scheduled domestic flights, 9,196 (1.6%) of which were canceled. In May 2022, airlines scheduled 602,950 domestic flights, of which 11,993 (2.0%) were canceled. In June 2019, airlines scheduled 694,469 domestic flights, of which 14,667 (2.1%) were canceled.
June 2022 On-Time Arrival
In June 2022, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 73.5% down from 77.2% in May 2022 and up from 73.3% in pre-pandemic June 2019. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2022 is 75.9%.
Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates June 2022 (ATCR Table 1)
- Alaska Airlines Network – 78.7%
- Delta Air Lines Network – 78.4%
- Hawaiian Airlines – 77.2%
Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates June 2022 (ATCR Table 1)
- Allegiant Air – 59.0%
- JetBlue Airways – 61.3%
- Frontier Airlines – 69.5%
For the first six months of 2022, the reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 75.94%, down from 77.41% for the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
June 2022 Flight Cancellations
In June 2022, reporting marketing carriers canceled 3.1% of their scheduled domestic flights, higher than the rate 1.6% in June 2021 and higher than the rate of 2.1% in pre-pandemic June 2019.
Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights June 2022 (ATCR Table 6)
- Hawaiian Airlines – 0.1%
- Alaska Airlines Network – 0.7%
- Frontier Airlines – 1.1%
Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights June 2022 (ATCR Table 6)
- American Airlines Network – 4.4%
- Delta Air Lines Network – 3.9%
- United Airlines Network –…