US: Airline complaints rise 30% in 2015; airfare gripes nearly double

Profits by US-based airlines have been rising, but so have complaints by air travellers. The number of complaints filed by air travellers with the US DoT jumped 30% in 2015 over the previous year, with complaints about airfares nearly doubling, according to data released Thursday by the federal agency. Air travellers filed 20,170 complaints in 2015, compared with 15,539 complaints in 2014, with the greatest number of complaints filed against American Airlines. Complaints over fares nearly doubled to 1,813 in 2015 from 916 in 2014. A4A noted that the number of lost or damaged bags dropped in 2015, and on-time arrival rates for airlines improved. As for passenger griping, a trade group spokesman said the rate of complaints remains relatively low, considering that the airlines carry more than 2m passengers a day. <br/>