Resolver reveals airline complaints hit record levels in June

The chaos at airlines and airports over the last few weeks has led to record levels of complaints about flight cancellations to the Resolver website.

In the first two weeks in June, an unprecedented 5,576 complaints about airlines were made. In the whole of May, 5,757 complaints were registered – which in itself was an increase of 60% on the number of complaints made in April.

Of particular concern is the fact that the majority of complaints mention not being able to contact the airlines at all, which has only added to the distress that people have experienced when stranded at the airport waiting for information.

In addition to complaints from affected passengers, Resolver has also recorded significant rises in the number of people seeking guidance and information from its latest flight delay and cancelation website guide: https://news.resolver.co.uk/flight-delays-cancellation-and-compensation-a-resolver-guide/

The most recent complaints reveal:

Holidaymakers struggling to find members of airline staff to authorise hotel and transport costs after cancellations – and having to pay up front to get flights on other airlines.
Overbooked flights where passengers are not notified until the last minute if they will be getting on the plane.
People stranded in foreign airports after connecting flights were missed.
Travellers reporting food and drink vouchers were not provided and claims for hotel and transport costs being rejected despite the airlines not providing them with options when stranded overnight.
Customer service lines being constantly engaged and live chat options being unavailable.
Checked in luggage going missing at airports despite repeated attempts to reclaim it.

Resolver has also reported an increase in complaints about airline vouchers that have expired apparently without warning, alongside ongoing disputes over refunds.

Resolver’s consumer champion, Martyn James, said:

People have been desperate to get back on holiday since the pandemic ended. But with millions of pounds in vouchers in circulation and years of pent up demand, it should have been clear to airports and airlines that having enough staff on board and on the ground would be vital as soon as the holiday season began.

These record levels of complaint are a reminder to the industry that customer service must be invested in so families and individuals aren’t left stranded without help or support at the airport. And it’s high time the industry had a single ombudsman service so people have a simple path to justice when things go wrong.