For anyone who traveled during the holidays last year, they may not be shocked to hear that December 2022 had the third-highest number of flight complaints on record.
The US Department of Transportation received 16,876 airline service complaints in December 2022, the third highest behind April and May of 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.
This is four times the number of reported complaints in December 2021 and up 155% from the month prior in November 2022.
51% of the complaints were against Southwest Airlines, which canceled over 5,400 flights over 48 hours during the holiday season.
The cancellations came from a combination of severe weather, employee shortage due to illness, and massive electronic issues.
Winter storms also ripped through Chicago, Denver, and the Pacific Northwest in December, causing a slew of flight cancellations that left many stranded at the airport.
To learn more about air complaints or how to make one, head to the US Department of Transportation’s website here.
Featured image from Unsplash, photo credit Belinda Fewings
