Airline complaints soared 1,500% in April as flyers vented about refunds
April was a rough month to be an airline.
In addition to plummeting demand from travelers and severely constrained finances, consumer complaints reached what may have been a new record high.
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Passengers filed 19,856 complaints about airline service in April, according to data released by the Department of Transportation on Friday. That's up from 5,064 in March and from 1,206 in April 2019 — a whopping 1,546% year-over-year increase.
In a press release announcing April's aviation statistics, the DOT said that 17,387 of the service-related complaints that month had to do with refunds.
Related: How far can airborne COVID germs really spread on a plane?
That refunds drove most of the complaints is little surprise. Some airlines initially resisted efforts to give refunds for canceled flights, pushing travelers to accept vouchers instead as they tried to conserve cash while demand for travel bottomed out in April. Many passengers began to complain, and the DOT eventually issued a public rebuke to carriers with a sternly worded reminder that refunds were required by law when an airline cancels a flight.
The DOT had already recorded a spike in refund complaints in March, even though carriers operated close to normally through the first half of the month. The report released Friday that includes April's numbers is the first to capture an entire month's effect of the pandemic on U.S. airline operations.
Related: Delta likely to pull flights as number of US coronavirus cases rises.
Among the nuggets: It's remarkable to note that the deluge of complaints — up by more than 18,000 from the prior year — came even as the number of travelers was down as much as 96% compared to April 2019, based on Transportation Security Administration screening data.
April saw demand for travel fall precipitously, with airlines quickly slashing service as passenger levels suddenly dropped to historically low numbers.
Related: United Airlines joins American in signaling that the summer may not be lost.
The April shakeup also led to an odd reshuffling of the aviation industry landscape, temporarily crowning Southwest the world's largest airline by seat count. In April, the DOT fielded 521 refund-related complaints against Southwest, which wasn't bad for the world's largest airline.
At the other end of the spectrum, however, was United. The carrier lodged more than 2,700 refund-related complaints in April alone. The carrier was among those that made receiving refunds difficult, and that appears to borne out in the DOT complaint numbers for the month.
American, which generally has had one of the industry's most generous refund policies, fielded the second-most refund complaints in April with 1,173. Frontier (850), Delta (732) and Southwest rounded out the top five for refund complaints in April.
April also saw airlines implement new onboard public health measures, with many carriers announcing mask-wearing requirements that month. There still isn't a federal policy requiring masks while traveling, but most airlines now have such a rule in place.
Travel experience: What it’s like to fly a low-cost airline during a pandemic.
The DOT has since issued more warnings to airlines about refunds, so it seems likely that May could show high numbers in that area as well.
But the complaint numbers were far from the only ones in the DOT's April report to bear out the dramatic impact that the coronavirus had on U.S. airlines during the month.
Commercial U.S. carriers completed just 194,390 flights during the month — the lowest monthly total since February 1994, when airlines completed 370,027 flights.
Among the other numbers in the April report: 41.3% of scheduled flights during the month were canceled, underscoring the havoc the pandemic unleashed on the industry. Similarly, the industry's on-time arrival rate of just 55.7% was the lowest monthly on-time arrival performance since reporting began in 1987.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.