Elliott Confidential

Elliott Confidential

CONSUMER ALERT: Airlines can get you there on time — but don’t expect good service

The latest customer service scores are abysmal. But one airline is bucking the trend.

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Christopher Elliott
Sep 15, 2025
∙ Paid
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The latest Airline Quality Report, which I broke exclusively in Forbes yesterday, shows on-time arrivals and baggage handling are steadily improving. But when it comes to treating you like a human being, they’re failing. Badly.

Customer complaints are soaring.

According to government data, complaints jumped from 7.39 per 100,000 passengers in 2022 to 9.19 in 2024 — one of the worst rates since the survey began in 1991. That means more travelers than ever are taking the time to file formal grievances with the Department of Transportation.

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