Frontier Airlines Ranked Worst in 2023 U.S. DoT Customer Complaint Data

2023 has been a challenging year for U.S. airlines, witnessing a 29% surge in complaints compared to the previous year, despite an 11% increase in travel numbers. According to data from the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), complaints soared to a record high of 61,233, up from 47,591 in 2022. The delayed release of statistics until July 5, 2024, highlights the severity of the issue.

Analysis by the United States Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) reveals notable trends. Alaska and Southwest emerged as the top performers with the fewest complaints, joined by Allegiant as the only carriers to decrease their complaint volumes.

Meanwhile, airlines like Delta, American, Hawaiian, and United experienced increases in complaints, albeit keeping them below 10 per 100,000 passengers. In contrast, JetBlue, Spirit, and Frontier faced significant challenges, each registering double-digit complaint rates in 2023. Frontier, in particular, saw a staggering 68% increase in complaints over 2022, averaging nearly 33 complaints per 100,000 passengers.

Spirit, another low-cost carrier, also faced a rise in complaints but maintained a lower rate compared to Frontier, despite a 46% year-over-year increase.

Despite these issues, there were positive trends noted by PIRG. Flight cancellations within seven days of departure halved from 2.71% in 2022 to 1.29% in 2023, and on-time arrivals improved slightly to 78.3% from 76.7% the previous year.

Looking ahead to 2024, Frontier has implemented several initiatives to enhance customer experience, including restructuring pricing, improving phone support, enhancing operational efficiency, and eliminating change and cancellation fees. Similarly, Spirit has aligned itself with other domestic carriers by removing these fees.

Additionally, U.S. airlines are now mandated to provide automatic refunds for canceled or significantly changed flights, delayed baggage returns, and unfulfilled paid services like seat upgrades and Wi-Fi.

U.S DoT Report: https://www.transportation.gov/resources/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/june-december-2023-and-2023-annual-consumer

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, transportation.gov