The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) says that airline passenger complaints skyrocketed in August, despite service improvements.
The increase surprised many industry observers, since flight delays decreased slightly and new rules protecting passengers against lengthy tarmac delays virtually eliminated the problem.
Only one flight in August experienced more than a three hour tarmac delay. That is a big improvement over the prior year. In August, 2009 66 flights were stranded on the tarmac for three or more hours.
More than 82 percent of flights arrived on time in August, which DOT defines as within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival time. A contributing factor to this statistic could be that airlines have increased scheduled flight times to absorb delays without penalty.
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DOT's monthly Air Travel Consumer Report outlines some of the passengers' increasing frustration with scheduled airlines.
The number of complains - 1200 versus 891 in 2009 - is small compared with the number of passengers carried in August - more than 560,000. Even with the 35 percent increase in complaints in August, the percentage of travelers complaining to DOT seems tiny.
But how many dissatisfied customers will complain to a government agency that lacks the power to apologize, offer frequent flier miles, discount vouchers or some other form of compensation for a bad experience?
Most flyers, especially frequent flyers and those flying in first and business class, will complain to the airlines themselves.
The true number of complaints and their impact on airlines' bottom lines, will never be known because only airlines themselves know the true facts.
Background
It may be a coincidence, but August was the symbolic low point in relations between airline passengers and cabin crews.
Steven Slater, the troubled JetBlue flight attendant who cursed at passengers before leaving through an emergency exit, made his dramatic public resignation in August. He became a folk hero to many of his peers who are frustrated with their jobs and the customers they serve.
If the August complaint figures are accepted as the beginning of a trend, passengers are equally frustrated with their treatment at the hands of industry employees.
Tensions between passengers and front line employees have been simmering for quite some time. It seems that they are finally boiling over.
So what is behind the increase in passenger complaints?