In December 2022, consumers filed nearly 14,000 complaints, with vast majority focused on flight delays and cancellations
Washington (December 20, 2023) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)today sent a letter to the airline industry trade association Airlines for America, urging it to plan thoroughly, invest in critical resources, and make consumers a priority to ensure their travel is smooth, safe, and efficient this busy holiday season. Cancellations and delays mean that families are robbed of their limited time with loved ones over the holidays, lose earnings from missing work, and carry the burden of other financial costs.
Airlines have been historically unprepared for busy holiday travels. In the wake of Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022, airlines cancelled more than 30,000 flights and delayed another 142,000 flights due to insufficient preparedness for extreme weather. Since 2012, December has been ranked the third worst month to travel, with about 25 percent of flights failing to arrive on time. These routine airline failures, which could have been avoided, will contribute to families’ anxiety and stress when they travel by plane over the holidays.
In the letter to Airlines for America President Nicholas Calio, the lawmakers wrote, “This winter holiday season is an important opportunity for airlines to reverse the last ten years of bumpy travel around this time of year. But it requires airlines to engage in robust planning and investment.”
The lawmakers continued, “The risk of flight delays, cancellations, and ruined vacations lurks in travelers’ minds, creating more holiday fear than holiday cheer. In light of these concerns, we urge the major airlines to plan thoroughly and invest appropriately in mitigating the logistical and staffing challenges that this holiday season can expect to bring.”
Senator Markey has been a longtime advocate for passengers’ rights and safety. In June, Senators Markey and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) sent a letter to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee leadership urging them to include a provision in the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to prohibit family seating fees. In May, Senator Markey applauded the Biden administration for heeding his calls to adopt his proposed rule requiring airlines to compensate passengers for significant flight delays and cancellations caused by the airline. In March, Senator Markey and his colleagues introduced the Airline Operational Resiliency Act, bipartisan legislation that would require the U.S. Comptroller General to investigate airlines on their capacity to prepare for and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters.
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