The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) was late to release data on the complaints, inquiries and opinions it received from consumers about air travel for 2023. 

Why? Because of the staggering amount of feedback it received from consumers against airlines and ticket agents. In fact, the number of submissions about air travel in 2023 — 91% of which are complaints — is only eclipsed by 2020’s consumer feedback.

DOT also blamed its outdated submissions application system for the delay, and says it is currently working on modernizing the system. 

2023 in Review

– Last year, DOT received 96,853 submissions, compared to 86,240 in 2022. 

– Of those submissions, 67,661 were about U.S. air carriers, 24,991 were about foreign air carriers and 3,162 dealt with travel companies. 

– In 2023, DOT received a total of 2,685 disability-related complaints, up from a total of 2,098 complaints received in 2022.  

– And in 2023, DOT received 223 discrimination-related complaints, up from the total of 176 complaints received in 2022.  

How to File an Air Travel Complaint to the DOT

Travelers can file a complaint online here, or they may mail a complaint to the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, U.S. Department of Transportation, C-70, W96-432, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, D.C. 20590.