Frontier Airlines received the most customer complaints for the third year in a row, as complaints against US airlines reached a new record in 2024.

According to a new report, last year was the fourth time in five years that complaints against US carriers hit an all-time high, with travelers voicing frustrations over issues like canceled flights, lost baggage, and delayed refunds.

According to a report from the Colorado Public Interest Research Group, a total of 66,700 complaints were filed against airlines in the United States in 2024, increasing by nearly 9% compared to last year. Meanwhile, a total of 61,233 customer complaints were filed in 2023, compared to 47,591 in 2022.

Frontier At The Forefront

The report revealed that Denver-based Frontier Airlines received the most customer complaints per 100,000 passengers among the ten largest US airlines.

Notably, Frontier performed significantly worse than Spirit Airlines, which had the second-highest number of complaints.

The Department of Transportation uses the ratio of customer complaints to the number of boarded passengers as a benchmark to assess airline service quality.

According to this metric, Frontier Airlines recorded 23.3 complaints per 100,000 passengers, over 10 points higher than Spirit, which came in second with 12.8. JetBlue Airways followed as the third most complained-about airline, with a rate of 10.4.

Among the major US airlines, Southwest Airlines reported the lowest complaint ratio, with just 1.5 complaints per 100,000 passengers.

It was followed by Alaska Airlines, which had a ratio of 2.6, and Hawaiian Airlines, which came in third with 3.8. Indeed, these figures indicate a relatively high level of customer satisfaction compared to other carriers.

The Nature Of Complaints

It is worth noting that when it comes to filing complaints, the Department of Transportation advises travelers to first attempt to resolve their issue directly with the airline or ticket agent.

Only if those efforts fail should they escalate the matter to the DOT. The report lacks the detailed breakdown by complaint type that was provided in previous years.

Historically, the top three categories have consistently been refund issues, flight cancellations and delays, and problems related to baggage and wheelchairs, together accounting for nearly 75% of all complaints.

My reviewed webpages, which allow filing complaints, such as the Better Business Bureau and various social media pages, where users voiced their frustrations with Frontier’s services. There is even a Facebook group called ‘I Hate Frontier Airlines’ with 6,600 members sharing their experiences.

Indeed, common complaints from Frontier passengers include unauthorized charges, such as being billed for canceled subscriptions, flight delays, poor onboard conditions, and ineffective communication, among other issues.

For example, one passenger shared their experience in the aforementioned Facebook group, citing subpar aircraft interior conditions and unprofessional cabin crew service. Meanwhile, others have raised concerns about frequent flight delays and difficulties with rebooking.

Delays And Cancellations Increased

The report also revealed data regarding flight cancellations and delays. In 2024, the on-time arrival rate for all airlines in the United States fell slightly to 77.9%, down from 78.2% in 2023.

While the decrease may seem marginal at first glance, even a decline of just a few tenths of a percentage point translates into a large number of affected flights.

In fact, out of the approximately 7.5 million flights scheduled by the top ten airlines and their marketing partners, nearly 1.7 million were either delayed or canceled, according to the report.

This slight dip in performance reflects a substantial disruption for millions of travelers across the country.

The on-time performance in 2024 ranked as the second-worst in the past decade, surpassed only by the 76.6% rate recorded in 2022, which was notably worse than the figures seen in 2021.

Much of the decline in 2022 was attributed to staffing shortages, as many airlines were still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic.