U.S. airline bosses to be grilled over flight delays and cancellations

There are no surprise travelers are frustrated with ongoing post-pandemic airport headaches and delays.

With staff shortages, lost luggage, massive queues and high fares, airline passengers have had plenty to complain about this year.

This past May, just 77.2% of flights to U.S. airports arrived on time, that’s down compared to May 2019.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recorded 2,413 complaints against U.S. airlines in May.

Complaints relating to flight cancellations, delays and missed connections more than doubled since before the pandemic.

And it’s only going to get worse.

These numbers don’t yet include the chaotic summer rush which has forced airlines like United, Delta and others to trim their schedules. 

American and United executives will face investors Thursday when they discuss their operations on quarterly earnings calls.

Mishandlings of wheelchairs and scooters across the two periods was similarly steady. While total mishandlings increased by 159 incidents, the percentage of such occurrences was similar, at about 1.53% in May.

The rate and number of mishandled bags as well as wheelchairs and scooters, however, was up from last year.

Read the full report here