In most years, the US Department of Transportation receives around 15,000 complaints about air travel.
Last year? 102,550.
The torrent arose from a specific problem: Airlines Refusing Refunds they owed consumers on flights canceled by airlines. This is against US law.
The DOT under Republican and Democratic governments has done very little to help frustrated consumers, just a stark example of the continuing lack of government energy when it comes to consumer issues in air travel.
A coronavirus vaccine was being developed and deployed faster than the DOT could enforce its own rules. Just recently, the department began penalizing Air Canada, which US consumers have filed more than 6,300 complaints about since the pandemic began, for failing to pay refunds owed.
