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Air Travel Crisis
Cheap Charlie · March 12, 2001

This week I don't even need to write a column. The DOT has done it for me. You can find the entire report on the Web.

There, you will be able to download a series of depressing Acrobat (.pdf) files that show the government is well aware of the problems in the air traffic system. Unfortunately, no one is doing more than writing about it.

Before I get into some excerpts, readers should begin with the knowledge that according to the DOT's own words, "...the resources available to the Department to carry out (consumer protection) responsibilities to the traveling public are seriously inadequate - so much so that they had declined at the very time consumer complaints quadrupled and increased to record levels - from roughly 6,000 (complaints) in 1995 to over 23,000 in 2000. Nearly 20 staff are assigned to these functions today down from 40 in 1985."

The writing on the wall is not pretty. Congress is only bellowing about improving customer service while at the same time cutting consumer protection personnel. Complaining to the airlines and changing airlines when faced with bad customer service is the best system for making changes. Witness the miserable performance of United Airlines in the last quarter while all other airlines improved with customers. However, writing to your Congressman or Senator will work as well.

Let me continue with the report.

"We also found that the provisions within the Commitment do not directly address the root causes of the customer dissatisfaction: extensive flight delays, flight cancellations, and baggage not showing up with the passenger. Since air travelers in 2000 stood a greater than 1 in 4 chance of their flight being delayed, canceled or diverted, we believe the Airlines should go further and address steps they are taking on matters within their control to reduce over-scheduling, the number of chronically late or canceled flights, and the amount of checked baggage that does not show up with the passenger upon arrival."

More:

"Our analysis of Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) data found regularly scheduled flights that were at lease 15 minutes late and/or canceled 80 percent of the time increased from 8,348 to 40,868 (+390 percent) between 1999 and 2000."

More (DOT noted that one flight was delayed or cancelled 87 percent of the time one month and even when DOT changed the definition of delayed from 15 to 30 minutes, flights were late or canceled at least 40 percent of the time):

"Currently, the Airlines are required to disclose on-time performance only upon request from the customer. Passengers should not have to ask when making a reservation if the flight is chronically delayed or canceled 40 percent of the time or more; the Airlines should notify the passenger of this information without being asked."

On bumping:

"The rules about who gets bumped first varied among the Airlines, and compensation limit for those who are involuntarily bumped is inadequate and has not been changed since 1978. In fact, we found that passengers who volunteer to be bumped stand a good chance of receiving greater compensation than passengers who are involuntarily bumped."

I think that is enough of a beginning. Download the entire report. It makes fascinating reading. It is nice when the DOT all but writes my column for me. It will be nicer when Congress and DOT do something about the problems.

Since Congress and the DOT has been "actively involved," complaints have been soaring. I'm wondering when the improvement may be coming.

Charlie Leocha is the Boston-based author of Travel Rights: Know the Rules of the Road and the Air Before You Go. Cheap Charlie appears every Monday on this site. E-mail him at leocha@aol.com or access his Web site.