Is Airline Travel Actually Getting Worse, and What Can Be Done To Fix the Industry's Problems?

Flying, for many, can be considered a chore nowadays. Whether flying for business or pleasure, cramped seating arrangements, unimpressive airline food, and poor behavior both from fellow travelers and from agents representing the industry too often crop up as reasons to avoid the practice entirely. This may be of particular concern this Thanksgiving, according to CBS News, as air travel is expected to reach an all-time high for the holiday.

Despite the common complaints, is airline travel actually becoming noticeably worse — and if so, what can be done to fix the problem?

Passenger Discontent Reaches High Not Seen Since the COVID-19 Pandemic

According to AP News, American airline passengers are not exactly happy with the current state of affairs.

The U.S. Transportation Department indicated it had received almost 97,000 complaints in 2023, a figure so substantial that it took department workers until July of this year to sort through the filings and produce an accurate count.

That number also reflects the highest amount of complaints since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic made things a great deal more difficult both for airlines and fliers. While airlines may have been slow to issue refunds after the pandemic forced the cancellation of scheduled flights, no such — at least obvious — reason to substantiate a flood of complaints exists more recently.

In fact, as AP News pointed out, airlines only canceled 1.2% of all flights in 2023 compared to 2.3% in 2022. Delays were about the same over both years (21% of all flights recorded delays in both 2022 and 2023).

Complaints regarding racial discrimination and discrimination against passengers with disabilities ticked upward, yet the Transportation Department also indicated that the increase in complaints could simply be due to more passengers being aware of their rights and the process necessary to file a complaint.

Cramped Coach Seating and 'Unbundling' of Services Irk Passengers

Airlines are increasingly focused on catering to first-class fliers, according to an extensive report from Bloomberg writer Amanda Mull.

While pre-pandemic figures for premium seats may have remained somewhat stagnant, that doesn't appear to be the case in the post-pandemic era. By 2023, Delta was selling 74% of available first-class seats for cash — and it wasn't alone in seeing this boost, as Mull indicated. As United Airlines plans to expand its premium inventory by 75% per flight and Delta has announced "nose-to-tail" cabin redesigns for its entire fleet over the next few years based on the surge of interest in premium seating, passengers opting to sit in coach may find themselves facing a further squeeze.

"But for passengers at the back of the plane, all of this talk of upgraded comfort might sound like trolling. Flying in coach now means being antagonized at every turn — by extra fees for all kinds of things that used to be included, by the shrinking seat real estate, by overstuffed overhead bins, by the dwindling odds of ever getting to sit next to a blessedly empty seat," Mull wrote.

Making the point that major airlines are now emulating low-cost carriers by "unbundling" amenities in a profit-seeking move — "full-price carriers have opted to become budget ones at the back of their own planes," as she wrote — Mull suggested that things were about to get even less convenient, and pricey bit-by-bit, for those who opt out of luxury fares.

"If you want to check a bag, change your reservation, pick your seat in advance, sit next to a window or aisle, or guarantee your kid is next to you, you’ll have to pay extra, either with a fee or with a more expensive ticket," she added. "United has gone furthest in emulating the budget airlines: It now charges these ticket holders for bringing a carry-on suitcase."

What Can Be Done To Improve the Situation?

Per CBS News, there are 27,000 fewer flights this year so far, despite high passenger volume, because airlines have managed to fit an average of six more passengers in each plane. With shrinking space in coach a reality and a decline in both customer service as well as passenger behavior in evidence, as WHYY detailed, what can be done to fix the situation?

As quoted by CBS News, professor Ganesh Sitaramen, author of "Why Flying Is Miserable And How To Fix It," pointed toward political pressure as being essential to any change. He gave the example of the deregulation of U.S. airlines in 1978 as being largely responsible for the current climate in the airline industry and suggested it was time to reverse course.

"What that means is having some amount of regulated rates to prevent price gouging and to prevent declines in the amount of quality," Sitaramen said.

Instead of complaining to the airline if you have a terrible traveling experience, it may be better to call your elected official.

"Call up your congressman ... That's the way we're going to make change, is by people in government actually doing something about it," he added.

Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News, said it may simply be time to lower expectations.

"So if you're looking from an experiential point of view, when people ask me if I had a nice flight, you know what I say to them? Two words: we landed. It was a great flight," Greenberg said.