Summary
- Frontier Airlines had the highest complaints per 100,000 passengers in 2023, leading to a low customer satisfaction score.
- Complaints have prompted Frontier to improve its customer service, including reopening its call center and providing clear pricing.
- Cancellation rates decreased significantly in 2023, with new airline policies allowing for automatic cash refunds.
Complaints against US domestic carriers showed that airline passengers were unhappy with the service they received in 2023. The number of complaints reached a new record, increasing by 29% over the previous year, while passenger volume increased by just 11%.
According to a new report by the US PIRG Education Fund, a consumer advocacy organization, using data published by the US Department of Transportation (DOT), a record-high 61,233 complaints were submitted against domestic airlines in 2023.
Photo: Denver International Airport
There is a clear winner with the most complaints: Frontier Airlines, with 32.99 complaints per 100,000 passengers. It is the winner by a long shot, with second place Spirit Airlines having only 14.76 complaints per 100,000 passengers. Third place was captured by JetBlue Airways with 13.32.
Not what Frontier wants
Frontier battles Spirit Airlines for the same slice of the ultra-low-cost carrier market (ULCC). With such slim margins, something has to give, and that usually ends up being the customer experience.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Travel Study 2023-2024 ranked Frontier second to last, scoring 69. The only airline that scored lower was Spirit, with 67. So, it’s expected that when customers aren’t happy, they will complain, which we can see from the study’s results.
Frontier isn’t happy about its new leading position. A spokesperson told Forbes,
“We have been disappointed in our historical complaints. However, we are pleased to have seen a recent drop in complaints due to better operational reliability, the reopening of our call center, and the New Frontier, which offers clear, upfront, low-cost pricing and no change fees.”
Photo: Denver International Airport
The high number of complaints indicates that customers flying Frontier couldn’t contact a human via the telephone until recently. In 2022, the airline removed call-based customer service in favor of AI Chatbots and automation. However, the switch was less than ideal, as the system seldom had answers for customers in need.
Frontier has since dialed back some of its unpopular changes in the hopes of pleasing more customers, as mentioned by the spokesperson. The call center is back up and running, and they’re now more transparent with their customers regarding the fees they charge, which is also a big sticking point to customers flying ULCCs.
Fewer reasons to complain
Cancellations are one of the main reasons passengers complain to the DOT about airlines. However, this has reduced by more than half, from 2.7% in 2022 to just 1.2% in 2023. Despite ever-increasing travel, it is the lowest cancellation rate in the last decade.
Photo: Nadezda Murmakova | Shutterstock
In the past, customers would have to contact the airline directly to receive a refund for canceled flights. Making things even better for the consumer, the Biden administration changed the law in April, forcing airlines to automatically issue cash refunds to customers of cancellations.
ULCCs like Frontier and Spirit also aligned with flag carriers and eliminated all change and cancellation fees, allowing customers to modify flights without penalties. As a result, this summer will be the first in which all commercial airline passengers can change their plans without incurring fees.
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