However, the rebound in airline earnings has been accompanied by a rise in passenger complaints. The United States Department of Transportation received more than 77,000 complaints about airline service in 2022, 55 per cent more than that in 2021. The most common issues were flight disruptions, reimbursement and baggage.
No doubt, the increase in complaints is in part due to the revival of the travel sector after COVID-19. But airlines may be tempted to cash in on such robust consumer demand, despite not having recovered to full pre-pandemic capacity yet.
Overbooking is one way airlines do this. Six years after a passenger was violently dragged off a United Airlines flight, US travellers are still denied boarding due to airlines selling more seats than they have available. The Wall Street Journal reported that more than twice as many passengers were bumped off flights between October 2021 and September 2022 compared to the same period in the previous year.
FALLING SERVICE STANDARDS OR MORE DEMANDING PASSENGERS?
It is natural for passengers to expect better service after paying a fortune. In Asia, recent news stories suggest passengers have lower tolerance towards poor in-flight service and meal quality.
Singapore Airlines, a regular top five airline in the world, sparked criticism after trialling paper serviceware in economy and premium economy class. Some customers deemed the paper boxes "cheap", leading the airline to reverse its decision.
It could be that passengers expect more from Asian carriers, as they tend to outdo US and European airlines in world rankings. But individually, some airlines had been struggling even before COVID-19.
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