Air Travel Consumer Report: October 2024 Numbers

Friday, January 17, 2025

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Thursday, January 16, 2025
Contact: pressoffice@dot.gov

Air Travel Consumer Report: October 2024 Numbers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of October 2024 on-time performance, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines.

For October 2024, 1.0% of flights were cancelled, higher than the 0.3% cancellation rate for October 2023.

DOT expects that airlines will operate flights as scheduled. DOT's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) routinely monitors airlines' operations to ensure that airlines are not engaging in unrealistic scheduling of flights. This week, the Department sued Southwest Airlines for illegally operating multiple chronically delayed flights and disrupting passengers' travel. DOT's lawsuit seeks maximum civil penalties against Southwest. DOT also recently took enforcement action against JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines for similar violations. JetBlue was fined $2 million, and Frontier was fined $650,000 for unrealistic scheduling of flights.

DOT also protects passengers experiencing flight disruptions by ensuring airlines provide consumers the services promised when a flight is cancelled or delayed because of an airline issue. After a two-year DOT push to improve the passenger experience, the 10 largest U.S. airlines now guarantee meals and free rebooking on the same airline and nine guarantee hotel accommodations. Consumer-friendly information regarding airline commitments to their customers is available on the Department's Airline Customer Service Dashboard at FlightRights.Gov. Additionally, the Department recently launched a rulemaking to protect passengers stranded by airline disruptions. That effort seeks public comment on requiring airlines to pay passengers cash compensation, rebook them for free on the next available flight, and cover meals, overnight lodging, and related transportation expenses when a disruption is airline-caused, such as a mechanical issue or an IT airline system breakdown.

DOT also pushed the 10 largest U.S. airlines to provide fee-free family seating and rolled out a new family seating dashboard that highlights the airlines that guarantee fee-free family seating and those that don't. Five airlines have stepped forward to guarantee fee-free family seating. The Department has also issued a proposed rule to ban family seating fees.

Flight Operations

The 649,969 flights operated in October 2024 were 102.62% of the 633,349 flights operated in October 2023. Operated flights in October 2024 were up 2.62% year-over-year from the 633,349 flights operated in October 2023 and up 5.18% month-over-month from 617,979 flights operated in September 2024.

In October 2024, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 656,283 scheduled domestic flights, 6,314 (1.0%) of which were cancelled. In September 2024, airlines scheduled 621,649 domestic flights, 3,670 (0.6%) of which were cancelled. In October 2023, airlines scheduled 635,538 domestic flights, 2,189 (0.3%) of which were cancelled.

October 2024 On-Time Arrival

In October 2024, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 86.0%, up from 84.0% in September 2024 and up from 84.1% in October 2023. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2024 is 77.4%.

Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates October 2024 (ATCR Table 1)

Delta Air Lines Network – 89.9%
United Airlines Network – 87.7%
Hawaiian Airlines – 86.0%

Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates October 2024 (ATCR Table 1)

Frontier Airlines – 73.3%
Allegiant Air – 79.2%
Alaska Airlines Network – 81.7%

October 2024 Flight Cancellations

In October 2024, reporting marketing carriers cancelled 1.0% of their scheduled domestic flights, higher than the rate of 0.6% in September 2024 and higher than the rate of 0.3% in October 2023. The year-to-date cancellation rate for 2024 is 1.5%.

Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Cancelled Flights October 2024 (ATCR Table 6)

United Airlines Network – 0.5%  
American Airlines Network – 0.6%   
Delta Air Lines Network – 0.6%

Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Cancelled Flights October 2024 (ATCR Table 6)

Allegiant Air – 6.4%    
Frontier Airlines – 3.1%    
JetBlue Airways – 2.5%

Complaints About Airline Service

In September, DOT released data on the submissions (complaints, inquiries, and opinions) it received from consumers about air travel for January-May 2024.

The release of the submissions data in the ATCR continues to be delayed primarily because of the tens of thousands of complaints received against airlines and ticket agents received by the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) and the time needed to review and process these consumer complaints using the Department's outdated legacy consumer complaint application system. Over the past three years, complaints made up an average of 91% of consumer submissions.

The Department has been actively working on modernizing its system for handling consumer complaints with the support of a Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) investment to improve the customer experience for the tens of thousands of consumers who use the system each year. The modernization of the system will also enable OACP to engage in oversight of the airline industry more effectively and report complaint data to the public more quickly.

Tarmac Delays

In October 2024, airlines reported two tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to four tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights reported in September 2024. In October 2024, airlines reported zero tarmac delays of more than four hours on an international flight, compared to zero tarmac delay of more than four hours on international flights reported in September 2024.

Airlines are required to have and adhere to assurances that they will not allow aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing passengers the option to deplane, subject to exceptions related to safety, security, and Air Traffic Control related reasons. An exception also exists for departure delays if the airline begins to return the aircraft to a suitable disembarkation point to deplane passengers by those times.

The Department investigates all extended tarmac delays.

Mishandled Baggage

In October 2024, reporting marketing carriers handled 40.4 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.38%, lower than both the rate of 0.42% in September 2024 and the rate of 0.44% in October 2023.

The Department began displaying the mishandled baggage data as a percentage (i.e., per 100 bags enplaned) in January 2022. This is consistent with the manner that the mishandled wheelchairs and scooters rate is calculated and displayed.

In the prior three calendar year reports (2019 to 2021), the Department calculated the mishandled baggage rate based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags. 

Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters

In October 2024, reporting marketing carriers reported checking 81,367 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 954 for a rate of 1.17% mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, higher than the rate of 1.11% mishandled in September 2024 and lower than the rate of 1.33% mishandled in October 2023.

To ensure safe and dignified accommodations for airline passengers with disabilities, especially those who use wheelchairs, on December 16, 2024, the Department published a final rule with new sweeping protections. The final rule sets new standards for assistance, mandates hands-on training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers' wheelchairs, and outlines actions that airlines must take to protect passengers when a wheelchair is damaged or delayed during transport.

Bumping/Oversales

Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly.

For the third quarter of 2024, the 10 U.S. reporting marketing carriers posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.28 per 10,000 passengers, lower than both the rate of 0.35 in the third quarter of 2023, and the rate of 0.33 in the second quarter of 2024.

Incidents Involving Animals

In October 2024, carriers reported one incident involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, higher than the zero reports filed in September 2024 and down from the two reports filed in October 2023.

Consumers may file air travel consumer or civil rights complaints online at https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint, 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, DC 20590.

The ATCR and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer.

DOT's Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Transportation has returned a record amount of refunds to travelers, issued the largest fines against airlines for failing passengers, and advanced the biggest expansion of airline consumer rights ever.

Created a new rule to require airlines to provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed. The rule makes clear that airline passengers are entitled to a refund when their flight is canceled or significantly changed and they no longer wish to take that flight or be rebooked, when their checked baggage is significantly delayed, or when extra services they paid for – like Wi-Fi – are not provided. The rule also requires refunds to be automatic, prompt, in the original form of payment, and in the full amount paid.
- Passengers can better understand their new refund rights HERE.
Created a new rule to protect consumers from costly surprise airline junk fees. The rule fosters a more competitive airline market by requiring airlines to disclose critical extra fees upfront – like change fees and baggage fees – to ensure consumers can better understand the true cost of their travel. The rule also bans "bait-and-switch" advertising tactics and requires airlines to clearly tell passengers upfront that a seat is included with the cost of their ticket, and they do not need to pay extra. Airlines have challenged this rule in court, and the court has put a temporary hold on implementation of the rule. The Department will continue to defend this rule and notes that nothing in the Court's decision prevents airlines from voluntarily complying with this common-sense rule.
Created a new rule to protect airline passengers with disabilities. The rule requires airlines to meet more rigorous new standards for assistance, mandates hands-on training for airline employees and contractors who physically assist passengers with disabilities and handle passengers' wheelchairs. The rule also specifies actions that airlines must take when a wheelchair is damaged or delayed during transport and will ensure that people with disabilities can fly safely and with dignity.
Secured enforceable guarantees from airlines to provide food, lodging, and other support when they strand passengers. After DOT launched flightrights.gov, all 10 large U.S. airlines committed to providing passengers with free rebooking, meals, hotel accommodations, and other amenities when they are responsible for causing a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to through enforcement action.
Ensured airline passengers received nearly $4 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to them – including over $600 million owed to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.
Issued more than $225 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations since President Biden took office. In comparison, between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued just over $70 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.
Expanded the Department's capacity to review air travel service complaints by partnering with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general, which will help hold airlines accountable and protect the rights of the traveling public. Attorneys general who have signed a memorandum of understanding with DOT will be able to access DOT's complaint system in the future.
The Department of Transportation is currently pursuing additional rulemakings that would:
- Protect passengers stranded by airlines canceling or significantly changing their flights. DOT issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on requiring airlines to pay passengers cash compensation, rebook them for free on the next available flight, and cover meals, overnight lodging, and related transportation expenses when a disruption is airline-caused, such as a mechanical issue or an IT airline system breakdown.
- Ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, as the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.

Consumers may file air travel consumer or civil rights complaints online at  https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint, 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, DC 20590. 

The ATCR and other aviation consumer matters of interest to the public can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer.