Airline activity is definitely taking off this summer. The increase in activity also entails a greater number of complaints due to incidents from customers against the companies with which they fly.
Reclamio, dedicated to the resolution of claims in the transport of passengers and luggage, ensures that in the second quarter of 2023 the number of air claims has already increased by 140% year-on-year.
Delays, flight cancellations and problems with luggage, among which the deterioration and loss of suitcases stand out, account for the bulk of conflicts every summer, according to the online legal services platform Reclamador.es. They also mention overbooking as one of the most frequent complaints. To make the claim successfully, it is necessary to provide all the documentation that may be requested depending on the case, but there will always be the ID or passport, the ticket or reservation confirmation or the boarding pass.
From Reclamio they ensure that the airports that are registering the most incidents are Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat. The company anticipates that this summer the airports of especially tourist destinations on these dates, such as the Balearic Islands, Andalusia and the Canary Islands, will join. The reason is the volume of movement. They affirm that Iberia, Vueling and Ryanair are the companies that receive the most complaints.
Noemí Fernández, manager of Reclamio, explains that this year there are many problems due to strikes and occupancy levels. In addition, he recalls that last year many of the conflicts arose because airlines had to rearm staff after the pandemic while facing a boom in demand.
“The problems arise especially when the flights are almost 100% occupied, when they are at 60% the airlines are much more relaxed and the problems usually have more solutions,” says Fernández.
Ana Rodríguez, director of operations of Reclamador.es, assures that the current situation, in mid-July, is similar to that of last year. But she warns that it remains to see “the strong fortnights of summer, touristically speaking, which are the last of July and the first of August. It is where the trips of the Spanish are most concentrated”.
Connecting flights are the most critical, according to the platform, since they are “a high-risk point in the baggage handling process and the main cause of delay.”
To improve the situation, in Reclamador.es they affirm that more employees are needed in the airport and airline staff, since the lack of personnel is preventing a satisfactory flight service from being able to be provided to passengers. They also demand that customers be given priority.
Although Rodríguez acknowledges that “airlines are increasingly concerned about the experience of their passengers when choosing them, due to strong competition and they have improved both the quality of their planes and punctuality.”
