Durbin Presses Airlines On How They Plan To Address Flight Delays And Increased Fees That Are Disrupting Consumers' Ability To Fly

Letter

"I am writing to express my concern regarding ongoing challenges that airline passengers face, and to inquire what United Airlines / American Airlines / Airlines for America is doing to address these complaints from the American people.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) of full-year 2022 data, air carriers reported higher rates of mishandled baggage and higher numbers of passengers who were involuntarily denied boarding, due to oversold flights or bumps, compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019… In addition, despite U.S. airline passenger traffic increasing by only about 30 percent from 2021 to 2022--from 658 million passengers to 853 million passengers--the aforementioned report notes that tarmac delays greater than three hours increased by 142 percent in the same time period.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

In 2017, airlines generated roughly $57 billion in add-on fees from passengers. These fees often leave consumers to select a ticket price they deem affordable, only to get hit with back-end fees as they navigate the increasingly confusing process of booking a flight, resulting in higher costs than ever before. And these increases do not appear to be slowing down; according to the Federal Reserve of St. Louis, the price of airline tickets increased by 25 percent from 2022 to 2023--the largest jump since it began tracking such prices.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

The latest DOT Air Travel Consumer Report shows that only 65 percent of United Airlines flights were on time in June 2023. Additionally, it notes that United cancelled 5.3 percent of flights, 11 percent of which were due to circumstances within the airline's control--among the highest rates of the 15 reporting carriers. What is United doing to ensure its passengers are refunded or compensated for delayed and cancelled flights?

a. Does this include funding for meals or lodging in cases of excessive delays?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

As of July, American Airlines reported quarterly profit of more than $1.3 billion. What is American doing to ensure consumers are not saddled with excessive or unnecessary fees throughout their booking and travel experience?

a. How is American ensuring that this profit is not earned at the expense of a fair, pleasant, and affordable travel experience for consumers?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Despite 2022 air travel levels remaining lower than pre-pandemic levels, the full-year 2022 ATCR showed that the rate of mishandled baggage increased from 2019, and the rate of mishandled wheelchairs and scooters was unimproved from 2019. What is the reason for this increase in mishandling baggage and stagnancy in mishandling wheelchairs and scooters?

a. What efforts does A4A have in place to improve this metric across the industry?"

Source