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Air Travel Consumer Reports

The Air Travel Consumer Report is a monthly product of the Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection. The report is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by the airlines. The most recent report was issued on March 1, 2024.

Air Travel Consumer Reports

• February 2024 Air Travel Consumer Report
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The report is divided into the following sections:

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The sections that deal with flight delays, mishandled baggage, wheelchairs and scooters; and oversales are based on data collected by the Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The section that deals with consumer complaints is based on data compiled by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP). The section that deals with customer service reports to the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is based on data provided by TSA. The section that deals with animal incidents during air transport is based on reports required to be submitted by airlines to the OACP. Each section of the report is preceded by a brief explanation of how to read and understand the information provided.

The report is usually issued during the second week of each month. Oversales are reported quarterly rather than monthly, and oversales figures may be slightly older than the other data in certain months. The report, which contains tables of information, is best printed in "landscape" orientation.

Additional air travel data can be found on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website .

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The COVID-19 Crisis: how is air travel recovering?

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To understand the mobility patterns of individuals and communities, especially as economies begin recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, you need reliable air travel statistics. IATA gives you global passenger flows, including forward-looking bookings , based on actual tickets issued by over 117,000 travel agents on 490 airlines. You get 100% market size estimates, several years of historical data, and unparalleled granularity. See some examples of the power of IATA data below:

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The latest travel data.

MONTHLY INSIGHTS March 04, 2024

U.S. Travel has temporarily paused our monthly data newsletter, however, the latest travel data is still available via the U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard . This dashboard is updated each month (member login required).

The U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard , developed in collaboration with Tourism Economics, is supported by more than 20 data sources. The dashboard is the most comprehensive and centralized source for high-frequency intelligence on the U.S. travel industry, tracking industry performance, travel volumes and predictive indicators of recovery including air and lodging forecasts, DMO website traffic, convention and group trends, travel spending and losses, traveler sentiment, among others to measure the health of the industry.

Key Highlights January 2024:

• Travel appetite started the year on a softer note, but overall growth continued. Air passenger growth remained positive, up 6% versus the prior year but lower than the double-digit growth seen through 2023. Foreign visits remained strong, up 24% YoY.
• Hotel room demand continued a trend of slight contraction falling 1% versus the prior year, while short-term rental demand grew 1%, a lower rate than 2023.
• A particular bright spot was that group room demand within the top 25 markets displayed solid growth of 9% relative to the prior year.
• The outlook for the economy remains fairly optimistic due to the strength of the labor market, looser financial conditions and healthy household and nonfinancial corporate balance sheets. This has filtered through to slightly higher consumer sentiment in February.
• Sentiment is also growing for upcoming leisure travel in 2024. The share of travelers reporting having travel plans within the next six months increased to 93% in January from 92% in December, according to Longwoods International’s monthly survey.
• Travel price inflation (TPI) fell slightly in January as a result of falling transportation prices. Sticky services inflation should see relief from decelerating wage growth. However, upside risks stem from rising healthcare costs, supply chain disruptions and slowing labor supply. Source: U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics

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Additional monthly insights are available through the full U.S. Travel Monthly Data Report, exclusive to members. Please inquire with  membership  if you are interested in learning about becoming a member of U.S. Travel Association. 

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U.S. International Air Travel Statistics (I-92 data)

This program provides information on international air traffic between the United States and other countries. The data has been collected from the Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection’s Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) since July 2010. Previously the data source was the DHS/INS I-92 paper form. These data are now obtained electronically from all U .S. and foreign flag carriers who operate United States international arrival or departure flights (Canada is included as of 2011). The APIS based “I-92” system provides air traffic data on the following parameters: number of passengers, by country, airport, scheduled or chartered, U.S. Flag, foreign flag, citizens and non-citizens.

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Air Travel Consumer Report: October 2023 Numbers

DOT 01-24 Contact: [email protected]  

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of October 2023 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters.

The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. DOT remains committed to ensuring airline passengers are treated fairly and flights operate as scheduled.  For the first 10 months of 2023, 1.5% of flights were canceled, far below the 2.6% cancellation rate for the first 10 months of 2022 and the 2.1% cancellation rate for first 10 months of pre-pandemic 2019.  

DOT uses the data from the ATCR, consumer complaints, and other information it secures from the airlines to inform its enforcement activities and the adequacy of existing rules.

In 2023, DOT issued the largest fines in the history of the consumer protection office primarily based on complaints received. Since the pandemic began, the Department has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds to travelers. 

The Department is also enhancing consumer protections through rulemakings and other activities. After a two-year DOT push to improve the passenger experience, the 10 largest airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline and nine guarantee hotel accommodations as part of the Department’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard. DOT expanded the user-friendly dashboard at  FlightRights.Gov  to highlight which airlines, if any, offer cash compensation, provide travel credits or vouchers, or award frequent flyer miles when they cause flight delays or cancellations. In May, DOT announced plans to launch a new rulemaking that would propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations, such as staffing issues or mechanical problems.

Further, in 2023, President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines to commit to fee-free family seating. Before their urging, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now four airlines have committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating, and DOT is pursuing a rulemaking that would require all airlines to do so. Secretary Buttigieg also submitted to Congress a  legislative proposal to require that airlines provide fee-free family seating .

To further assist consumers in assessing airline family seating commitments, in March 2023, DOT rolled out a new  family seating dashboard  that highlights the airlines that guarantee fee-free family seating, and those that do not, making it easier for parents to avoid paying junk fees to sit with their children when they fly.

Flight Operations

The 633,349 flights operated in October 2023 were 107.27% of the 590,444 flights operated in October 2022. Operated flights in October 2023 were up 7.27% year-over-year from the 590,444 flights operated in October 2022 and up 6.05% month-over-month from 597,223 flights operated in September 2023. 

In October 2023, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 635,538 scheduled domestic flights, 2,189 (0.3%) of which were canceled. In September 2023, airlines scheduled 604,715 domestic flights, of which 7,492 (1.2%) were canceled. In October 2022, airlines scheduled 595,322 domestic flights, of which 4,878 (0.8%) were canceled.

October 2023 On-Time Arrival

In October 2023, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 84.1%, up from both 80.3% in September 2023 and from 83.4% in October 2022. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2023 is 77.0%.

Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates October 2023 (ATCR Table 1)

• Delta Airlines Network – 90.7%
• United Airlines Network – 85.9%
• Alaska Airlines Network – 85.4% 

Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates October 2023 (ATCR Table 1)

• Frontier Airlines – 73.9%
• JetBlue Airways – 73.9%
• Hawaiian Airlines – 76.3%

October 2023 Flight Cancellations

In October 2023, reporting marketing carriers canceled 0.3% of their scheduled domestic flights, lower than the rate 1.2% in both September 2023 and 0.8% in October 2022. The year-to-date cancellation rate for 2023 is 1.5%.

Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights October 2023 (ATCR Table 6)

• Delta Air Lines Network – 0.0%*  
• JetBlue Airways – 0.2%   
• Allegiant Airlines – 0.2%    

*Delta canceled 61 flights in October.   Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights October 2023 (ATCR Table 6)

• Hawaiian Airlines – 1.7%    
• Spirit Airlines – 1.6%    
• Frontier Airlines – 0.7%    

Complaints About Airline Service

The release of air travel service complaint data in the Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) has been delayed primarily because of the continued high volume of complaints against airlines and ticket agents received by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) and the time needed to review and process these consumer complaints. The Department has been examining how best to review and process the consumer complaints received to avoid reporting delays. This review led the Department to invest in updating its consumer complaint application system, which was developed in 1996, to bring it up to current technology standards. It also led the Department to seek a Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) investment to further enhance OACP’s consumer complaint and case tracking application system to improve the customer experience for the tens of thousands of consumers who use the system each year and enable OACP to more effectively engage in oversight of the airline industry. On September 29, 2023, the TMF announced that it was awarding DOT an $8 million grant towards this effort.  

In the interim, given the continued high volume of air travel service complaints concerning airlines and ticket agents, the Department has revised how it processes consumer complaints received from June 1 to December 31, 2023. The Department will revise the ATCR to display consumer submissions (complaints, inquiries, and opinions) as opposed to complaints for this period. The Department will continue to display civil rights complaints in the ATCR in a similar manner as before. 

Tarmac Delays

In October 2023, airlines reported six tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to 57 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights reported in September 2023. In October 2023, airlines reported zero tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared to six tarmac delay reported in September 2023. 

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.

The Department investigates extended tarmac delays.

Mishandled Baggage

In October 2023, reporting marketing carriers handled 41.0 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.44%, lower than both the rate of 0.53% in September 2023 and the rate of 0.49% in October 2022.

The Department began displaying the mishandled baggage data as a percentage (i.e., per 100 bags enplaned) in January 2022. This is consistent with the manner that the mishandled wheelchairs and scooters rate is calculated and displayed.     In the prior three calendar year reports (2019 to 2021), the Department calculated the mishandled baggage rate based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags. 

Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters

In October 2023, reporting marketing carriers reported checking 77,411 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 1,030 for a rate of 1.33% mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, lower than the rate of 1.42% mishandled in September 2023 and lower than the rate of 1.38% mishandled in October 2022.

To address many of the significant barriers and challenges experienced by passengers who use wheelchairs, the Department has initiated a rulemaking proposing that, if adopted after public comment would, among other actions, make it an automatic violation of the Department’s Air Carrier Access Act regulations for airlines to mishandle a passenger’s wheelchair. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would also enhance training requirements for airline personnel who provide hands-on transfer assistance to passengers and handle wheelchairs. This rulemaking is currently under review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

Bumping/Oversales

Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly. For the third quarter of 2023, the 10 U.S. reporting marketing carriers posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.35 per 10,000 passengers, lower than the rate of 0.36 in the second quarter of 2023 and higher than the rate of 0.22 in the third quarter of 2022.

Incidents Involving Animals

In October 2023, carriers reported 2 incidents involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, equal to the two reports filed in both September 2023 and in October 2022.

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.

The ATCR and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at  https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

Economy airline tickets are more expensive, but business class has actually gotten cheaper

It’s true – airfares are going up, but not as much as the price of other goods and services .

“While airfare has risen in nominal terms in (the) U.S. and Europe, consumers will appreciate that the increases are less than other consumables,” Jeremy Bowen, CEO of aviation analytics company Cirium, said in a statement. “Cirium’s data teams will continue to monitor the impact on fares of increased capacity in the market, despite challenges related to the availability of aircraft, be it due to groundings, engine issues, or supply chain constraints.”

According to Cirium’s data, the average domestic airfare in the U.S. was $179.25 in 2023, 9% more than in 2019.

Cirium said it compared those figures to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation data, which showed overall inflation at 19% in the same period.

Transatlantic airfare was also up in 2023, at $435.17 for a one-way economy ticket, compared to $381.08 in 2019, a 14% increase – still below inflation.

Cruising Altitude: I will fight for overhead space on a plane, but I shouldn't have to

Premium tickets have actually gone down in relative terms across the Atlantic. In 2023, a business class ticket was 3% cheaper on average than it was in 2019.

Business travel has been slower to recover post-pandemic than leisure, which may mean some airlines are discounting their business class tickets to help fill the cabins.

For travelers, the price adjustments mean flying in any cabin is a relatively good deal, since prices in other sectors of the economy are rising more quickly.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected]

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• Air Operators Utilization Reports
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DOT to investigate data security and privacy practices of top US airlines

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced its first industry-wide review of data security and privacy policies across the largest U.S. airlines.

The DOT said in a press release Thursday that the review will examine whether U.S. airline giants are properly protecting their customers’ personal information and whether airlines are “unfairly or deceptively monetizing or sharing that data with third parties.”

Letters to airline executives will include questions about how the airlines collect and handle passengers’ personal information, monetize customer data through targeted advertising and how employees and contractors are trained to handle passenger’s information.

Those airlines include Allegiant, Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United.

The department, which oversees U.S. government policy on all matters related to transportation, said it would investigate and take enforcement action as it discovers evidence of problematic practices.

U.S. Secretary for Transportation Pete Buttigieg said the review aims to “ensure airlines are being good stewards of sensitive passenger data.”

The DOT did not say what specifically prompted the review, but that the action was part of the U.S. government’s “broader push to protect consumer privacy across the economy.”

In recent months, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission — which regulates consumer data privacy matters — has banned data brokers and other companies from sharing users’ sensitive location and browsing data with others, ordered companies hit by data breaches to overhaul their security practices and pledged to strengthen the federal law known as COPPA that prevents companies from obtaining data on children under the age of 13.

The DOT said that the FTC is “also exploring rules to more broadly crack down on the harms stemming from surveillance and lax data security.”

Transportation Secretary Buttigieg said the DOT’s privacy review will be carried with the expertise and partnership of Sen. Ron Wyden, a senior Democrat who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Wyden has raised alarms about the sharing and sale of sensitive U.S. consumer data to data brokers — companies that collect and resell people’s personal data, like precise location data, often derived from their phones and computers.

In recent months, Wyden has warned that data brokers sell access to Americans’ personal information, which can identify which websites they visit and the places they travel to. Wyden also warned that U.S. intelligence agencies can — and have — purchased commercially available information about Americans from data brokers, which the intelligence community argues that they don’t need to obtain a search warrant for data they can purchase.

In remarks, Wyden said: “Because consumers will often never know that their personal data was misused or sold to shady data brokers, effective privacy regulation cannot depend on consumer complaints to identify corporate abuses.”

Skift India Summit Video: Hyper-Personalizing the Air Travel Experience

Amadeus + Skift

April 2nd, 2024 at 12:01 PM EDT

In this video from Skift India Summit 2024, Jonathan Tong, senior vice president, airlines — Southeast Asia, India Subcontinent and Greater China for Amadeus, spoke about the critical role of data, collaboration, and tech in reshaping today's passenger experiences.

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

In this video:

• The shift towards hyper-personalization in the airline industry and the importance of leveraging customer data to improve the travel experience.
• Challenges in personalization efforts, including the complexities of integrating diverse data sources and the need for cross-functional collaboration within airlines.
• How advanced technologies like AI, machine learning, and cloud computing can facilitate personalization strategies for higher customer engagement and loyalty.

The airline industry stands at the precipice of a transformative era powered by hyper-personalization. Despite varying maturity levels among global carriers, there’s a unanimous trend towards achieving a 360-degree view of the customer to facilitate basic to advanced personalization strategies. However, the journey towards personalization comes with its own challenges.

In this video from Skift India Summit 2024, Jonathan Tong, senior vice president, airlines — Southeast Asia, India Subcontinent and Greater China for Amadeus, spoke with SkiftX content director, Alison McCarthy, about how airlines can use customer data to provide a more personalized travel experience.

The conversation explored the role of AI and machine learning technologies in optimizing personalization efforts, highlighting innovative practices like dynamic pricing and the potential of generative AI in improving customer engagement. The discussion also touched upon the promising future of biometrics and digital identities in streamlining travel processes. Despite the technological advancements and pilot projects in biometric boarding and airport processes, there’s a need for industry-wide collaboration to fully realize the benefits of these technologies.

Tong shared insights into how Indian travelers have unique expectations shaping how airlines and the broader travel industry adapt. His advice for building an effective customer data strategy emphasized the importance of embracing new technologies and creating collaboration to navigate the complexities of personalization in the digital age.

This content was created collaboratively by Amadeus and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX .

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: airline technology , airlines , artificial intelligence , india , personalization , tourism , travel tech , Travel Trends

Southwest Airlines challenged on its low-cost claims

Some words have no legal definition even if most consumers take an "I know it when I see it" approach. 

You can call your company "low cost" or "discount" and that can mean very different things. 

For someone who shops at high-end retailers, Macy's may seem like a value brand (although the company does not make that claim). Or a regular Dillard's shopper might see Marshalls, Bealls and other retailers that market based on offering low prices as the low-cost or discount brands.   

Related: Failed deal leaves another airline facing bankruptcy, liquidation

When it comes to airlines it becomes even more confusing. Many full-fare airlines have higher prices and charge for "extras" like checked bags and onboard WiFi.

The lowest-cost carriers — Spirit ( SAVE ) , Frontier, Allegiant and similar players — market themselves as low-cost, but they are really a la carte. Passengers pay little for their tickets, but they pay extra for everything from carry-on bags to checked luggage and even getting an actual seat assignment.

Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) , which considers itself a discount carrier, has always operated differently from its rivals at both ends of the pricing spectrum. The airline's fares are generally cheaper than traditional airlines like United, Delta and American, but they cost more than Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant.

In addition, Southwest included carry-on and checked bags in your ticket price, so it's offering added value in that way as well. Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary, a longtime supporter of Southwest, no longer sees the company as a low-cost carrier.

Ryanair CEO makes Southwest Airlines claims

Southwest clearly defines its "purpose" on its website: "To connect people to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel." 

At the top of its "About Us" page, the airline also touts its "one-of-a-kind value."

O’Leary does not see it that way.

“Southwest’s average fare in the last decade has crept up – their average last year was $170 a seat. That’s not a particularly cheap airline. Our average airfare in Europe was €44 [$47] a seat. I don’t think Southwest is really a low-fares airline anymore,” he told Skift .

Ryanair's CEO says Southwest is causing itself problems by not charging for checked bags. He noted that his airline saw its rate of passengers who check bags drop to 20% from 80% once it started charging for the privilege.

“And yet at Southwest, you go through American airports and people are carrying on five bags, checking in five bags. The whole process is delayed," he said. "They put out all this schlock about ‘our passengers are our guests, and you wouldn’t want to charge your guests for their bags,’ but why do you charge for the seats if that’s the case? Give it all away for free.” 

Southwest allows two free checked bags per passenger.

O'Leary took one parting shot at the airline he studied when building Ryanair: “Southwest has lost the passion for low-cost, low-fare air travel.” 

Data show Ryanair's O'Leary may have a point

While 2022 may have been an abnormal year as airlines and the overall economy recovered from the covid pandemic, a study of airline revenue per seat mile conducted by Flight Advisor was not favorable to Southwest. 

"Although Southwest Airlines is technically the world’s largest low-cost carrier, the airline’s total revenue per seat mile is the highest on our list at $0.1729," wrote Amy Lancelotte. "This isn’t much more than Delta, but travelers who think that Southwest offers the lowest prices are in for a surprise. This brings forth the question of whether Southwest should even be considered a budget carrier."

Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant, in that order, had the lowest revenue per seat mile. 

A similar report by LendEdu , done in May 2023, also ranked Southwest as the most expensive of the major U.S. airlines on a cost-per-mile basis.

• Solar Eclipse 2024

See the 2024 Solar Eclipse’s Path of Totality

A total solar eclipse is expected to pass through the United States on April 8, 2024, giving stargazers across the country the opportunity to view the celestial phenomenon in which the sun is completely covered by the moon.

The eclipse will enter the U.S. in Texas and exit in Maine. It is the last time a total solar eclipse will be visible in the contiguous United States until 2044.

Here's what to know about the path of the eclipse and where you can see it.

Read More : How Animals and Nature React to an Eclipse

Where can you see the total solar eclipse?

The eclipse will cross through North America, passing over parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada. 

The eclipse will enter the United States in Texas, and travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse.

Much of the eclipse's visibility depends on the weather. A cloudy day could prevent visitors from seeing the spectacle altogether.

When does the solar eclipse start and end?

The solar eclipse will begin in Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT. It will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 p.m. NDT.

The longest duration of totality—which is when the moon completely covers the sun — will be 4 minutes, 28 seconds, near Torreón, Mexico. Most places along the path of totality will see a totality duration between 3.5 and 4 minutes.

Read More : The Eclipse Could Bring $1.5 Billion Into States on the Path of Totality

Where’s the best place to see the total solar eclipse?

The best place to witness the event is along the path of totality. Thirteen states will be along the path of totality, and many towns across the country are preparing for the deluge of visitors— planning eclipse watch parties and events in the days leading up to totality.

In Rochester, NY, the Rochester Museum and Science Center is hosting a multi-day festival that includes a range of events and activities. Russellville, Arkansas will host an event with activities including live music, science presentations, tethered hot-air balloon rides, and telescope viewings.

More Must-Reads From TIME

• Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
• Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse
• Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
• Essay: The Complicated Dread of Early Spring
• Why Walking Isn’t Enough When It Comes to Exercise
• The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
• The Best TV Shows to Watch on Peacock
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Write to Simmone Shah at [email protected]

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Air Travel Consumer Report: December 2023, Full Year 2023 Numbers

OST 03-24 Contact: [email protected]  

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of December 2023 and calendar year 2023 for on-time performance, mishandled baggage, mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, and oversales.

The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. In addition, DOT expects that airlines will operate flights as scheduled and that when they do not, airlines provide consumers the services consumers have been promised when a flight is canceled or delayed because of an airline issue.

In 2023, airline service quality generally improved.  Notably, only  1.29%  of flights were cancelled across the 10 largest U.S. airlines, far below the 2.71% cancellation rate for 2022, 1.76% for 2021, 5.99% for 2020, and 1.90% for 2019 .  Across the  National Airspace System ,  the 2023 cancellation rate was under 1.2%  –  the lowest in over a decade.  Meanwhile, airlines reported better on-time performance. Further,  the  rate of wheelchair, scooter, and baggage mishandlings as well as denied boardings all decreased, as did the number of tarmac delays. 

After a two-year DOT push to improve the passenger experience, the 10 largest airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline and nine guarantee hotel accommodations. Consumer-friendly information regarding airline commitments to their customers is available on the Department’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard at  FlightRights.Gov . DOT also pushed airlines to provide fee-free family seating and rolled out a new family seating dashboard that highlights the airlines that guarantee fee-free family seating, and those of the 10 largest that do not, making it easier for parents to avoid paying junk fees to sit with their children when they fly.

DOT is also improving transportation for individuals with disabilities. In July 2023, DOT finalized a rule which requires airlines to make lavatories on new, single-aisle aircraft more accessible. Under this final rule, airlines must improve the accessibility of these lavatories short of increasing their size in the short term. In addition, in the long term, airlines are required to provide an accessible lavatory that is large enough to permit a passenger with a disability and attendant, both equivalent in size to a 95th percentile male, to approach, enter, and maneuver within as necessary to use the aircraft lavatory.

In addition, when necessary, DOT takes enforcement action against airlines and ticket agents that fail to comply with the Department’s aviation consumer protection requirements. In 2023, DOT issued the largest fines in the history of the consumer protection office. This includes a  $140 million penalty  against Southwest Airlines for failing passengers during the 2022 holiday meltdown. The action, which was in addition to over $600 million DOT already ensured was refunded by Southwest to passengers, requires Southwest to establish a $90 million compensation system for future passengers affected by significant delays and cancellations. DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds to travelers since the pandemic began.

Flight Operations

The 603,756 flights operated in December 2023 were 110.35% of the 547,134 flights operated in December 2022. Operated flights in December 2023 were up 10.35% year-over-year from the 547,134 flights operated in December 2022 and up 0.80% month-over-month from the 598,987 flights operated in November 2023.

In December 2023, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 606,218 scheduled domestic flights, of which 2,462 (0.4%) were canceled. In November 2023, airlines scheduled 599,814 domestic flights, of which 827 (0.1%) were canceled. In December 2022, airlines scheduled 578,321 domestic flights, of which 31,187 (5.4%) were canceled.

December 2023 On-Time Arrival

In December 2023, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 83.9%, down from 86.3% in November 2023, but up from 69.0% in December 2022.

Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates December 2023 (ATCR Table 1)

• Delta Airlines Network – 89.3%
• United Airlines Network – 85.6%
• American Airlines Network – 84.1%

Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates December 2023 (ATCR Table 1)

• JetBlue Airways – 71.4%
• Spirit Airlines – 75.4%
• Frontier Airlines – 77.4%

In 2023, the reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 78.34%,  up from 76.72% in  2022.

December 2023 Flight Cancellations

In December 2023, reporting marketing carriers canceled 0.4% of their scheduled domestic flights, higher than the rate of 0.1% in November 2023, but lower than the rate of 5.4% in December 2022.

Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights December 2023 (ATCR Table 6)

• American Airlines Network – 0.1%  
• United Airlines Network – 0.3%   
• Delta Air Lines Network – 0.4%

Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights December 2023 (ATCR Table 6)

• Hawaiian Airlines – 1.5%    
• Alaska Airlines Network – 1.0%    
• Allegiant Air – 0.7%

In 2023, the reporting marketing carriers posted a cancellation rate of 1.29%,  down from 2.7% in 2022 .

Complaints About Airline Service

The release of air travel service complaint data in the Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) has been delayed primarily because of the continued high volume of complaints against airlines and ticket agents received by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) and the time needed to review and process these consumer complaints. The Department is investing in modernizing its system for handling consumer complaints with the support of a Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) investment to improve the customer experience for the tens of thousands of consumers who use the system each year and enable OACP to more effectively engage in oversight of the airline industry. TMF has awarded DOT an $8 million grant towards this effort. 

As DOT modernizes its system, given the continued high volume of air travel service complaints concerning airlines and ticket agents, DOT has revised how it processes consumer complaints received  after June 1, 2023.  DOT also will revise the ATCR to display consumer submissions (complaints, inquiries, and opinions) as opposed to complaints for this period. The Department will continue to display civil rights complaints in the ATCR in a similar manner as before and anticipates publishing submission and civil rights complaint numbers in spring.

Tarmac Delays

For calendar year 2023, airlines reported 289 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights and 27 tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights. For calendar year 2022, airlines reported 376 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights and 42 tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights.

In December 2023, airlines reported five tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to two tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights reported in November 2023. In December 2023, airlines reported zero tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared to one tarmac delay reported in November 2023.

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.

The Department investigates extended tarmac delays.

Mishandled Baggage

In December 2023, reporting marketing carriers handled 43.1 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.50%, higher than the rate of 0.39% in November 2023, but lower than the rate of 1.09% in December 2022.

For calendar year 2023, the carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.58%,  down from the rate of 0.64% in 2022 .

The Department began displaying the mishandled baggage data as a percentage (i.e., per 100 bags enplaned) in January 2022. This is consistent with the manner that the mishandled wheelchairs and scooters rate is calculated and displayed.

In the prior three calendar year reports (2019 to 2021), the Department calculated the mishandled baggage rate based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags.

Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters

In December 2023, reporting marketing carriers reported checking 69,397 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 968 for a rate of 1.39% mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, higher than the rate of 1.26% mishandled in November 2023, but lower than the rate of 1.49% mishandled in December 2022.

For calendar year 2023, the carriers posted a mishandled wheelchair and scooter rate of 1.38%,  down from the rate of 1.41% in 2022 .

Yesterday, the Department  announced its proposal  to strengthen its rule implementing the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to address the serious problems that individuals with disabilities using wheelchairs and scooters face when traveling by air that impact their safety and dignity, including mishandled wheelchairs and scooters and improper transfers to and from aircraft seats, aisle chairs, and personal wheelchairs. The proposed rule would require that airlines meet strict standards in accommodating passengers with disabilities by setting new standards for prompt, safe, and dignified assistance, mandating enhanced training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers’ wheelchairs, and outlining actions that airlines must take to protect passengers when a wheelchair is damaged during transport. The proposed rule also clarifies that damaging or delaying the return of a wheelchair is an automatic violation of the ACAA.

Bumping/Oversales

Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly.

For the fourth quarter of 2023, the 10 U.S. reporting marketing carriers posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.20 per 10,000 passengers, lower than both the rate of 0.35 in the third quarter of 2023 and the rate of 0.30 in the fourth quarter of 2022.

For calendar year 2023, the carriers posted a bumping/oversales rate of 0.30 per 10,000 passengers,  down from the rate of 0.32 in 2022 .

Incidents Involving Animals

As part of its IT modernization, DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) is improving the options for covered carriers to submit their monthly and annual Reports on Incidents Involving Animals During Air Transport. While the new system is being developed, OACP is permitting covered carriers to delay submission of reports on incidents involving animals during air transport. Annual data on such incidents will be published when  DOT receives carriers’ complete submissions of the 2023 data.  

In December 2023, carriers reported zero incidents involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, down from the one report filed in November 2023 and equal to the zero reports filed in December 2022.

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.

The ATCR and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at  https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

Strong Taiwan Quake Kills 9, Injures Hundreds

The earthquake was the most powerful to hit the island in 25 years. Dozens of people remained trapped, and many buildings were damaged, with the worst centered in the city of Hualien.

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• Hualien, Taiwan A landslide after the quake. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Books flew off shelves as a home shook. @Abalamindo via Storyful
• Taipei, Taiwan Passengers waiting at a train station as some services were suspended. Chiang Ying-Ying/Associated Press
• Hualien, Taiwan People are rescued from a building that had partially collapsed. TVBS via Associated Press
• Hualien, Taiwan Firefighters rescuing trapped residents from a building. CTI News via Reuters
• Taipei, Taiwan Students evacuated to a school courtyard after the earthquake. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
• Guishan Island, Taiwan Rocks tumbling down one side of an island popular for hiking. Lavine Lin via Reuters
• Hualien, Taiwan A building leaned to one side after the quake. Randy Yang via Associated Press
• Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan Watching news on a rooftop of a hotel after a tsunami warning. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
• Hualien, Taiwan Motorbikes damaged in the quake. TVBS via Associated Press
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Damage in an apartment Fabian Hamacher/Reuters
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Water cascading down a building during the quake. Wang via Reuters

Meaghan Tobin and Victoria Kim

Here’s what you need to know about the earthquake.

Taiwan was rocked Wednesday morning by the island’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century, a magnitude 7.4 tremor that killed at least nine people, injured more than 800 others and trapped dozens of people.

The heaviest damage was in Hualien County on the island’s east coast, a sleepy, scenic area prone to earthquakes. Footage from the aftermath showed a 10-story building there partially collapsed and leaning heavily to one side, from which residents emerged through windows and climbed down ladders, assisted by rescuers. Three hikers were killed after being hit by falling rocks on a hiking trail in Taroko National Park, according to the county government.

By late afternoon, officials said rescue efforts were underway to try to rescue 127 people who were trapped, many of them on hiking trails in Hualien.

One building in Changhua County, on the island’s west coast, collapsed entirely. The quake was felt throughout Taiwan and set off at least nine landslides, sending rocks tumbling onto Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to local media reports. Rail services were halted at one point across the island.

The earthquake, with an epicenter off Taiwan’s east coast, struck during the morning commute, shortly before 8 a.m. Taiwanese authorities said by 3 p.m., more than 100 aftershocks, many of them stronger than magnitude 5, had rumbled through the area.

In the capital, Taipei, buildings shook for over a minute from the initial quake. Taiwan is at the intersection of the Philippine Sea tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate, making it vulnerable to seismic activity. Hualien sits on multiple active faults, and 17 people died in a quake there in 2018.

Here is the latest:

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people there were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, a holiday across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn the dead and make offerings at their graves. Officials warned the public to stay away from visiting tombs in mountain areas as a precaution, especially because rain was forecast in the coming days.

TSMC, the world’s biggest maker of advanced semiconductors, briefly evacuated workers from its factories but said a few hours later that they were returning to work. Chip production is highly precise, and even short shutdowns can cost millions of dollars.

Christopher Buckley

Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s vice president, who is also its president-elect, visited the city of Hualien this afternoon to assess the destruction and the rescue efforts, a government announcement said. Mr. Lai, who will become president in May, said the most urgent tasks were rescuing trapped residents and providing medical care. Next, Mr. Lai said, public services must be restored, including transportation, water and power. He said Taiwan Railway’s eastern line could be reopened by Thursday night.

Meaghan Tobin

Taiwan’s fire department has updated its figures, reporting that nine people have died and 934 others have been injured in the quake. Fifty-six people in Hualien County remain trapped.

Shake intensity

Taiwan’s fire department reports that nine people have died and 882 others have been injured in Taiwan. In Hualien County, 131 people remain trapped.

Agnes Chang

Footage shows rocks tumbling down one side of Guishan Island, a popular spot for hiking known as Turtle Island, off the northeast coast of Taiwan. Officials said no fishermen or tourists were injured after the landslide.

The death toll has risen to nine, according to Taiwan government statistics.

Meaghan Tobin, Siyi Zhao

Officials in Taiwan warned residents to not visit their relatives' tombs, especially in the mountains, this weekend during the holiday, known as Ching Ming, meant to honor them. There had already been 100 aftershocks and the forecast called for rain, which could make travel conditions on damaged roads more treacherous.

Crews are working to reach people trapped on blocked roads. As of 1 p.m. local time, roads were impassable due to damage and fallen rock in 19 places, according to the Ministry of Transportation. At least 77 people remain trapped. A bridge before Daqingshui Tunnel appeared to have completely collapsed.

Taiwan’s worst rail disaster in decades — a train derailment in 2021 that killed 49 people — took place on the first day of the Tomb Sweeping holiday period that year, in the same region as the earthquake.

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people here were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, or Ching Ming, a day across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn their dead, especially by making offerings at their graves. Now those plans will be disrupted for many Taiwanese.

The holiday weekend would typically see a spike in travel as people visit family across Taiwan. Currently, both rail transport and highways are blocked in parts of Hualien, said Transport Minister Wang Guo-cai. Work is underway to restore rail transportation in Hualien, and two-way traffic is expected to be restored at noon on Thursday, he said.

Taiwan’s preparedness has evolved in response to past quakes.

Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness has evolved over the past few decades in response to some of the island’s largest and most destructive quakes .

In the years after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in 1999, the authorities established an urban search-and-rescue team and opened several emergency medical operation centers, among other measures .

And in 2018, after a quake in the eastern coastal city of Hualien killed 17 people and caused several buildings to partially collapse, the government ordered a wave of building inspections .

Taiwan has also been improving its early warning system for earthquakes since the 1980s. And two years ago, it rolled out new building codes that, among other things, require owners of vulnerable buildings to install ad-hoc structural reinforcements.

So how well prepared was Taiwan when a 7.4 magnitude quake struck near Hualien on Wednesday morning, killing at least seven people and injuring hundreds more?

Across the island, one building collapsed entirely, 15 others were in a state of partial collapse and another 67 were damaged, the island’s fire department said on Wednesday afternoon . Structural engineers could not immediately be reached for comment to assess that damage, or the extent to which building codes and other regulations might have either contributed to it or prevented worse destruction.

As for search-and-rescue preparedness, Taiwan is generally in very good shape, said Steve Glassey, an expert in disaster response who lives in New Zealand.

“ The skill sets, the capabilities, the equipment, the training is second to none,” said Dr. Glassey, who worked with Taipei’s urban search-and-rescue team during the response to a devastating 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. “They’re a very sharp operation.”

But even the best urban search-and-rescue team will be stretched thin if an earthquake causes multiple buildings to collapse, Dr. Glassey said.

Taiwan has options for requesting international help with search-and-rescue efforts. It could directly ask another country, or countries, to send personnel. And if multiple teams were to get involved, it could ask the United Nations to help coordinate them, as it did after the 1999 earthquake.

Pierre Peron, a spokesman for the United Nations, said on Wednesday afternoon that no such request had yet been made as a result of the latest earthquake.

Meaghan Tobin contributed reporting.

At least seven people have died and 736 have been injured as a result of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Another 77 people remained trapped in Hualien County, many of them on hiking trails. Search and rescue operations are underway, said the fire department.

Aftershocks of magnitudes between 6.5 and 7 were likely to occur over the next three or four days, said Wu Chien-fu, director of the Taiwanese Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center, at a news conference.

As of 2 p.m., 711 people had been injured across Taiwan, the fire department said, and 77 people in Hualien County remained trapped. The four who were known to have died were in Hualien.

Victoria Kim

Hualien County is a quiet and scenic tourist destination.

Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast is a scenic, sleepy tourist area tucked away from the island’s urban centers, with a famous gorge and aquamarine waters. It also happens to sit on several active faults , making it prone to earthquakes.

The county has a population of about 300,000, according to the 2020 census, about a third of whom live in the coastal city of Hualien, the county seat. It is one of the most sparsely populated parts of Taiwan. About three hours by train from the capital, Taipei, the city describes itself as the first place on the island that’s touched by the sun.

Hualien County is home to Taroko National Park, one of Taiwan’s most popular scenic areas. Visitors come to explore the Taroko Gorge, a striated marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, which cuts through mountains that rise steeply from the coast. The city of Hualien is a popular destination as a gateway to the national park.

According to the state-owned Central News Agency, three hikers were trapped on a trail near the entrance to the gorge on Wednesday, after the quake sent rocks falling. Two of them were found dead, the news agency said. Administrators said many roads within the park had been cut off by the earthquake, potentially trapping hikers, according to the report.

Earthquakes have rattled Hualien with some regularity. In 2018, 17 people were killed and hundreds of others injured when a magnitude 6.5 quake struck just before midnight, its epicenter a short distance northeast of the city of Hualien.

Many of the victims in that quake were in a 12-story building that was severely tilted, the first four floors of which were largely crushed, according to news reports from the time. The next year, the area was shaken by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that injured 17 people.

The area has some of the highest concentrations of Taiwan’s aboriginal population, with several of the island’s Indigenous tribes calling the county home .

The county government in Hualien released a list of people that had been hospitalized with injuries, which stood at 118 people as of midday Wednesday.

Across Taiwan, one building fell down entirely, in Changhua County on the west coast, and 15 buildings partially collapsed, Taiwan’s fire department said. Another 67 buildings were damaged. One of the partially collapsed structures was a warehouse in New Taipei City where four people were rescued, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. Another 12 were rescued at a separate New Taipei City building where the foundation sank into the ground.

Peggy Jiang, who manages The Good Kid, a children’s bookstore down the street from the partially collapsed Uranus Building in Hualien, said it was a good thing they had yet to open when the quake struck. The area is now blocked off by police and rescue vehicles. “Most people in Hualien are used to earthquakes,” she said. “But this one was particularly scary, many people ran in the street immediately afterward.”

Lin Jung, 36, who manages a shop selling sneakers in Hualien, said he had been at home getting ready to take his 16-month-old baby to a medical appointment when the earthquake struck. He said it felt at first like a series of small shocks, then “suddenly it turned to an intense earthquake shaking up and down.” The glass cover of a ceiling lamp fell and shattered. “All I could do was protect my baby.”

Chris Buckley ,  Paul Mozur ,  Meaghan Tobin and John Yoon

The earthquake damaged buildings and a highway in Hualien.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday damaged many buildings and a major highway in Hualien, a city on the eastern coast, and it knocked out power as it rocked the island.

Across Taiwan, the quake and its aftershocks caused one building to completely collapse and 15 others to partially collapse, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Sixty-seven other buildings sustained damage.

Two tall buildings in Hualien that sustained particularly extensive damage were at the center of the rescue efforts there. Most damage across the city was not life-threatening, said Huang Hsuan-wan, a reporter for a local news site.

Where buildings were reported damaged in Hualien City

“A lot of roads were blocked off. There are a lot of walls toppled over onto cars,” Derik du Plessis, 44, a South African resident of Hualien, said shortly after the earthquake. He described people rushing around the city to check on their houses and pick up their children. One of his friends lost her house, he said.

One of the damaged buildings in Hualien, a 10-story structure called the Uranus Building that housed a mix of homes and shops, was tilted over and appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Many of its residents managed to flee, but some were missing, said Sunny Wang, a journalist based in the city. Rescuers were trying to reach the basement, concerned that people might be trapped there.

Photographs of the initial damage in Hualien showed another building, a five-story structure, leaning to one side, with crushed motorcycles visible at the ground-floor level. Bricks had fallen off another high-rise, leaving cracks and holes in the walls.

The quake also set off at least nine landslides on Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, which said part of the road had collapsed.

Taiwan’s fire department said four people had been killed in the earthquake.

Across Taiwan, 40 flights have been canceled or delayed because of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center.

President Tsai Ing-wen visited Taiwan’s national emergency response center this morning, where she was briefed about the response efforts underway by members of the ministries of defense, transportation, economic affairs and agriculture, as well as the fire department.

A look at Taiwan’s strongest earthquakes.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning was the strongest in 25 years, the island’s Central Weather Administration said.

At least four people died after the quake struck off Taiwan’s east coast, officials said.

Here’s a look back at some of the major earthquakes in modern Taiwanese history:

Taichung, 1935

Taiwan’s deadliest quake registered a magnitude of 7.1 and struck near the island’s west coast in April 1935, killing more than 3,200 people, according to the Central Weather Administration. More than 12,000 others were injured and more than 50,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Tainan, 1941

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake in December 1941, which struck southwestern Taiwan, caused several hundred deaths, the United States Geological Survey said.

Chi-Chi, 1999

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in September 1999. The quake, which struck about 90 miles south-southwest of Taipei, was the second-deadliest in the island’s history, according to the U.S.G.S. and the Central Weather Administration. More than 10,000 people were injured and more than 100,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Yujing, 2016

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake in February 2016 caused a 17-story apartment complex in southwestern Taiwan to collapse, killing at least 114 people . The U.S.G.S. later said that 90 earthquakes of that scale or greater had occurred within 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, of that quake’s location over the previous 100 years.

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