With the economy still in a slump, a less stressed airline industry with fewer travelers improved its performance in many areas in 2009.
For 2009, U.S. airlines carried 5.2 percent fewer domestic passengers and 6.3 percent fewer international passengers in 2009 than in 2008. Airline travel still hasn’t returned to prerecession 2007 levels.
On-time performance
The nation’s largest airlines had an on-time performance rate in 2009 that was their best since 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report.
The 19 airlines had an on-time arrival rate of 79.5 percent in 2009, an improvement over 2008’s rate of 76 percent. It was the best since the on-time annual record of 82 percent in 2003.
Mishandled baggage
The report also shows that the airlines’ rate of mishandled baggage last year was the lowest since 2004.
Airlines had a mishandled baggage rate of 3.91 per 1,000 passengers in 2009, an improvement over 2008’s 5.26. It was the best rate since 2002’s score of 3.84.
Flight delays
On flight delays, airlines reported 18.64 percent of flights were delayed in 2009, compared with 25.82 percent in 2008.
Bumping
The 19 airlines reported an involuntary denied boarding rate, or bumping rate, of 1.19 per 10,000 passengers last year, up from 1.11 for 2008.
Complaints about airline service
For all of last year, the department received 8,819 complaints, 17.2 percent fewer than the 10,648 complaints received in 2008.
Complaints about treatment of disabled passengers
For 2009, the department received 517 disability complaints, up 8.4 percent from the total of 477 received in 2008.
Complaints about discrimination
For 2009, the department received 132 discrimination complaints – such as race, religion, national origin, or sex – up 14.8 percent from the total of 115 filed in 2008.
Consumers can file complaints in writing with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20590; by voice mail at 202-366-2220 or by TTY at 202-366-0511; or on the Web at http://airconsumer.dot.gov.
