Survey: Air Travel Complaints Rise

Research sponsored by Purdue University and Wichita State University has found that despite a lot of recent positives in airline performance, air travelers are a grumpy bunch these days.

FOX News Radio’s Kerin McCue explains the reasons why:

Consumer gripes against the airlines are way up.  Complaints to the U.S. Department of Transportation surged by 1/5th last year, this even though issues like on-time arrivals and lost baggage have improved.  What’s got passengers upset these days?

(Airline Passenger) “Constantly having the seat ahead of me rubbing directly into my kneecaps.”

To accommodate more customers, airlines are shrinking their size and adding more, turning planes that once carried 130 passengers comfortably into virtual sardine cans holding up to 150.  Overbooking is another problem, something every carrier does to keep seats full.  

Among the worst offenders: United Airlines ranks dead last out of the 14 airlines reported; Southwest is best.

Kerin McCue, FOX News Radio.