In March, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to result in significant changes to airline schedules and operations. The 581,434 flights operated in March 2022 were 86.1% of the 675,659 flights operated in pre-pandemic March 2019. Operated flights in March 2022 were up 26.1% year-over-year from the 461,222 flights operated in March 2021 and up 17.1% month-over-month from the 496,531 flights operated in February 2022.
In March 2022, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 590,542 scheduled domestic flights, 9,108 (1.5%) of which were canceled. In March 2021, the same airlines reported 467,126 scheduled domestic flights, 5,904 (1.3%) of which were canceled. In February 2022, airlines scheduled 519,952 domestic flights, of which 23,421(4.5%) were canceled.
March 2022 On-Time Arrival
In March 2022, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 77.2%, up from 76.6% in February 2022 and down from 80.9% in pre-pandemic March 2019. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2022 is 76.4%.
Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates March 2022 (ATCR Table 1)
- Hawaiian Airlines – 84.6%
- Alaska Airlines Network – 83.0%
- Delta Air Lines Network – 81.4%
Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates March 2022 (ATCR Table 1)
- Allegiant Air – 57.2%
- Frontier Airlines – 57.8%
- JetBlue Airways – 65.6%
For the first three months of 2022, the reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 76.35%, down from 77.88% for the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
March 2022 Flight Cancellations
In March 2022, reporting marketing carriers canceled 1.5% of their scheduled domestic flights, lower than both the rate of 4.5% in February 2022, and the rate of 2.0% in pre-pandemic March 2019.
Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights March 2022 (ATCR Table 6)
- Hawaiian Airlines – 0.4%
- Delta Air Lines Network – 0.9%
- United Airlines Network – 1.0%
Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights March 2022 (ATCR Table 6)
- Allegiant Air – 5.4%
- Frontier Airlines – 4.5%
- JetBlue Airways – 2.8%
For the first three months of 2022, the reporting marketing carriers posted a cancellation rate of 4.1%, up from 2.7% for the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.
Tarmac Delays
In March 2022, airlines reported seven tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, less than the eight reported in February 2022. In March 2022, airlines reported zero tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, equal to the zero tarmac delays reported in February 2022.
Airlines are required to have and adhere to assurances that they will not allow aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing passengers the option to deplane, subject to exceptions related to safety, security, and Air Traffic Control related reasons. An exception also exists for departure delays if the airline begins to return the aircraft to a suitable disembarkation point to deplane passengers by those times.
Extended tarmac delays are investigated by the Department.
Mishandled Baggage
In March 2022, reporting marketing carriers handled 42.0 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.57%, a lower rate than the February 2022 rate of 0.60% and higher rate than the pre-pandemic March 2019 rate of 0.54%.
For the first quarter of 2022, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.65%, higher than the first-quarter 2019 rate of 0.59%.
Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters
In March 2022, reporting marketing carriers reported checking 56,140 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 803 for a rate of 1.43% mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, equal to the rate of 1.43% mishandled in February 2022, and lower than the rate of 1.77% mishandled in pre-pandemic March 2019.
For the first quarter of 2022, the carriers posted a mishandled wheelchair and scooter rate of 1.47%, lower than the first-quarter 2019 rate of 1.85%.
Bumping/Oversales
Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly.
For the first quarter of 2022, the 10 U.S. reporting marketing carriers posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.44 per 10,000 passengers, higher than both the rate of 0.08 in the first quarter of 2021, and the rate of 0.32 in the first quarter of pre-pandemic 2019.
Incidents Involving Animals
In March 2022, carriers reported zero incidents involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, equal to the zero reports filed in February 2022 and down from the one report filed in pre-pandemic March 2019.
Complaints About Airline Service
In March 2022, DOT received 4,423 complaints about airline service from consumers, up 18.5% from the 3,733 complaints received in February 2022 and up 289.3% from the 1,136 complaints received in pre-pandemic March 2019.
For the first quarter of this year, the Department received 13,251 complaints, up 329.8% from the 3,083 filed during the first quarter of pre-pandemic 2019.
Of the 4,423 complaints received in March 2022, 2,506 (56.7%) were against U.S. carriers, 1,342 (30.3%) were against foreign air carriers, and 573 (13.0%) were against travel companies.
Also, of the 4,423 complaints received in March 2022, 1,638 (37.0%) concerned refunds. The Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection continues to communicate with airlines and travel companies that receive refund complaints to ensure compliance with the refund requirements. Many passengers who had initially been denied refunds have received the required refunds. The Department has taken and will take enforcement action against noncompliant airlines and ticket agents as necessary.
Flight problems was the second highest category of the complaints received in March 2022. Of the 4,423 complaints received, 882 (19.9%) concerned cancellations, delays, or other deviations from airlines’ schedules. The Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection routinely contacts airlines with widespread cancellations or delays to remind them of their obligation to promptly refund passengers who choose not to accept the alternative offered for a canceled or significantly changed flight. Airlines are also required to have and adhere to a customer service plan that identifies the services that the airline provides to mitigate passenger inconveniences resulting from flight cancellations and misconnections. The Department monitors airlines’ actions and reviews complaints that it receives against airlines to ensure that consumers’ rights are not violated.
Complaints About Treatment of Disabled Passengers
In March 2022, the Department received a total of 119 disability-related complaints, up from both the 116 disability-related complaints received in February 2022 and from the 59 complaints received in pre-pandemic March 2019.
For the first quarter of this year, the Department received 378 disability-related complaints, up from the total of 168 filed during the first quarter of pre-pandemic 2019.
Complaints About Discrimination
In March 2022, the Department received 19 complaints alleging discrimination – 14 complaints regarding race, one complaint regarding ancestry/ethnicity, two complaints regarding national origin, one complaint regarding color, and one complaint regarding sexual discrimination. This is up from both the three complaints received in February 2022 and from the six complaints recorded in pre-pandemic March 2019.
For the first quarter of this year, the Department received 27 discrimination complaints – 18 complaints regarding race, one complaint regarding ancestry/ethnicity, four complaints regarding national origin, one complaint regarding color, one complaint regarding religion, one complaint regarding sexual discrimination, and one complaint categorized as “other.” This is equal to the total of 27 filed during the first quarter of pre-pandemic 2019.
Consumers may file air travel consumer or civil rights complaints online at http://airconsumer.dot.gov/escomplaint/ConsumerForm.cfm or by voicemail at (202) 366-2220, or they may mail a complaint to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-75, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Tags: US DOT
