DOT Received More Than 9,000 Complaints In The First Half Of 2017

U.S. airline carriers continue to face a bumpy ride in trying to overcome problems associated with chronic flight disruptions.

In its latest report, the Bureau of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer report said the Department of Transportation received 1,605 customer complaints about airlines’ services, an increase of nearly 7.7 percent from 1,490 complaints received a year earlier. From January to June 2017, there were 9,026 consumer complaints, up 7.8 percent from the same period a year ago, the report said.

According to the Bureau of Transportation’s report, major U.S. carriers cancelled 1.1 percent of their scheduled flights in June, compared with 1.0 percent the same time a year ago. The report also stated that airlines’ on-time travel rate in June fell to 76.2 percent in June, compared with 78 percent a year earlier.

Aviation system problems have been partly attributed to U.S. airlines’ delays and cancellations this year.

“The occurrence of disrupted travel is becoming more commonplace, partly as a result of the lack of widespread adoption of next-generation technologies, with a number of carriers still operating with aging systems," said Bhupender Singh, CEO and of global BPO Intelenet Global Services. This problem will only continue to grow as more people choose this form of travel to reach their destinations.

“The more progressive firms in the travel industry are using automation to streamline their communication systems to fast track the claims calculations process and keep customers updated. Not only does this avoid the proliferation of negative sentiment on social media, but it keeps the customer engaged. By harnessing the power of technology and having trained staff on hand, travel providers will be able to navigate through busy periods all year round, which will boost positive sentiment among customers as well as streamline costs.”

(Source: Intelenet Global Services news release)

FMI: www.intelenetglobal.com