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submitted 7 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Air travel is getting worse, judging from the number of consumer complaints.

Consumer complaints about airlines nearly doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year and kept soaring in April and May, the U.S. Transportation Department said Wednesday.

Those are the latest figures from the government. The Transportation Department said information about complaints has been delayed because there are so many of them to process.

The department said it received 24,965 complaints about airline service in the first three months of the year, up 88% from the first quarter of 2022. Consumers filed another 6,712 complaints in April, up 32% from a year earlier, and 6,465 in May, an increase of 49%.

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[-] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 76 points 7 months ago

Between the fake security theater treating everyone like absolute shit, the miniature airline seating designed to break knee caps, the over-crowded disease-spreading cabins, and the constant threat that the airline will kick you off the flight because they intentionally overbooked, airline travel is complete bullshit.

[-] HurlingDurling@lemm.ee 23 points 7 months ago

This is the result of airlines allowed to self regulated... and the TSA

[-] TwoBeeSan@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

Ahh the invisible hand of the market

[-] easydnesto@sh.itjust.works 28 points 7 months ago

Does anything substantial actually come from the complaints? Are we expected to see some sort of retribution against these airlines or reduced federal subsidies to them? I’m genuinely asking because there really isn’t any alternative for fast travel.

[-] Drusas@kbin.social 21 points 7 months ago

I'd like to see a breakdown on what the complaints are about. What percentage is about a flight being canceled or delayed, what percent is about being treated like crap by an airline employee, what percentage is a complaint about other customers, etc.

[-] Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 7 months ago

I recall seeing an article about this and the majority of complaints people had were about canceled/delayed flights AND the vast majority reason for those were 100 percent to do with issues the airplane carriers were at fault for.

[-] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I haven't been in an airport since before lockdown. It's been pretty great. It took a pandemic to make me realize that the act of traveling ruins the fun of visiting places.

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

I fly often for work and you are 100% correct. It feels like it gets worse every single time. Hence why I only fly drunk or high.

However, international I don't see that much difference pre and post.

[-] ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago

Let's go back to water travel

[-] NightGaunts@kbin.social 3 points 7 months ago

I, for one, would like to see more water-based everything. Especially motion pictures. For instance, a movie about that swimming guy, what was his name? Aquatic Man was it?

[-] Grizzly_Biscuit@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Ah yes, Shark Boy.

[-] ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Some shark movie maybe? Cheeks?

[-] GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 7 points 7 months ago

I prefer traveling by rail so much, it's just far superior for so many trips. If only countries other than like a handful would invest in some truly good HSR, we could be living in the future. Instead we have the absolute garbage experience of flying. Yuck.

[-] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 5 points 7 months ago

I wouldn't know. I haven't been able to afford it for years

[-] ares35@kbin.social 2 points 7 months ago

haven't been on an airplane in over 25 years. i wouldn't want to nowadays, even if i could afford it.

[-] tillimarleen@feddit.de 4 points 7 months ago

always has been

this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
230 points (99.6% liked)

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