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Summer Travel 2024: Record Air Travel, Fewer Cancellations, Better Airports, More Passenger Protections

Year-to-date flight cancellation rate is just 1.4% during a record-breaking summer travel season​​​​​

WASHINGTON – Despite record-breaking levels of air travel this year, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) numbers show that the flight cancellation rate for the first half of 2024 was just 1.4% – nearly the lowest rate in over a decade. The latest data from airlines reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that weather continues to be the leading cause of flight cancellations.

On June 23, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened more than 2.99 million individuals in a single day at U.S. airports – the most airline passengers the agency has screened in its history. TSA expects to screen more than 32 million individuals this Independence Day travel season, which is a 5.4% increase over last year. At the same time, airfares are down 6% over the last year and below pre-pandemic prices.

“This year’s record-breaking air travel is another good sign for our economy as more Americans take to the skies than ever before,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “To help avoid travel headaches, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action to modernize airports and expand passenger protections for a smoother travel experience.” 

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $25 billion in U.S. airport infrastructure over five years. This unprecedented investment is not only improving runways and air traffic control towers but also adding gates and adding flight capacity, modernizing baggage systems, replacing passenger boarding bridges, reconfiguring security screening areas, improving safety, and more to finally deliver world-class airports in the U.S. and meet anticipated demand in the decades to come. Just this week, the Federal Aviation Administration announced $289 million in airport infrastructure grants in 40 states and an additional $1 billion in available funding to modernize airport terminals. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, nearly 200 terminal projects are already under construction to modernize America’s airports and make air travel safer and smoother. 

The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action to improve airline passenger rights and oversight of the airline industry: 

• The rule makes clear that airline passengers are entitled to a refund when their flight is canceled or significantly changed and they no longer wish to take that flight or be rebooked, when their checked baggage is significantly delayed, or when extra services they paid for – like Wi-Fi – are not provided. The rule also requires refunds to be automatic, prompt, in the original form of payment, and in the full amount paid. Airlines must comply with the rule by late October.  
• Provisions of the final rule on airline refunds were fortified through the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that President Biden signed into law on May 16, 2024. 
• The rule creates a more competitive airline market by requiring airlines to disclose critical extra fees – like change fees and baggage fees – upfront to ensure consumers can better understand the true cost of air travel. The rule also bans “bait-and-switch” advertising tactics and requires airlines to clearly tell passengers upfront that a seat is included with the cost of their ticket. This rule is expected to save consumers over half a billion dollars every year.  
• Launched the flightrights.gov dashboard, after which all 10 major U.S. airlines guaranteed free rebooking and meals when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to through enforcement action.  
• Secured nearly $4 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.  
• Issued nearly $170 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations since President Biden took office. In comparison, between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.  
• Set up a system to expand the Department’s capacity to review air travel service complaints by partnering with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general , which will help hold airlines accountable and protect the rights of the traveling public.

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GSA establishes the rates that federal agencies use to reimburse their employees for lodging and meals and incidental expenses incurred while on official travel within the continental United States (CONUS). A standard rate applies to most of CONUS. Individual rates apply to about 300 non-standard areas (NSAs). Most NSAs are a key city/primary destination and the surrounding county. Rates for the coming federal government fiscal year are typically announced in mid-August. Search the rates below or refer to the flat files , API , or trip calculator .

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Avoid scam websites that offer to help you get or renew your passport

Do you need to apply for or renew your passport? If you search online, the top results might show official-looking websites that say they can renew or get you a passport. Some of these websites are private companies that charge you for services that are free on the U.S. Department of State website…while others are scammers trying to take your money and personal information.

Travel.State.Gov is the official government website for passport services.  Some companies registered with the U.S. Department of State charge extra fees to submit your application and pick up your passport if you’re busy or need help. But you won’t get your passport faster than if you applied on your own without the extra cost.

But scammers also set up sites with similar names, flags, and seals, pretending to be affiliated with the government. For $60 to a few hundred dollars (on top of the regular passport fee), they promise to help you get a passport. But if you pay, you’ll lose your money and might be giving your personal information to scammers who could sell it to identity thieves.

To avoid passport scams, know this:

• The  U.S. Department of State is the government agency that handles passport services, but your top online search results might be phony passport application websites. Go directly to  Travel.State.Gov to avoid clicking on a scammy website.
• There’s a charge to get a passport, but the forms to renew or apply are free . Anyone who asks you to pay for forms is a scammer.
• It’s free to set up an appointment if you need a passport to travel right away. The Department of State’s passport agencies and centers don’t charge for appointments, and paying someone to set it up for you won’t get your passport faster.

Contact  [email protected] if you spot a scammy passport application, website, or if you paid someone who turned out to be a scammer. And tell the FTC at  ReportFraud.ftc.gov . Visit  IdentityTheft.gov   if someone has misused your personal information.

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U.S. Department of the Treasury

Under secretary nelson to travel to brisbane, australia for the pacific banking forum.

WASHINGTON – From July 8 – 10, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson will travel to Brisbane, Australia as the U.S. Department of the Treasury co-hosts the Pacific Banking Forum with the Government of Australia. While in Brisbane, he will also participate in a series of bilateral meetings with officials from Pacific nations and other partners in attendance.

The United States and Australia are proud Pacific nations with a shared vision to advance a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient Pacific region. During Australia’s State Visit in October 2023, President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Albanese committed to supporting sustainable access to banking services across the Pacific and, in consultation with the countries of the region, jointly launched the Pacific Banking Forum to achieve this objective.

The Pacific Banking Forum will bring together policymakers, regulators, commercial banks, technical experts, and other stakeholders to support the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat’s correspondent banking initiatives. It will address the urgent problem of ‘de-risking’ and the decline of correspondent banking relationships in the Pacific, which affect the ability of local banks to connect with international financial institutions and access cross-border payment services.

According to Treasury’s 2023 National Derisking Strategy , de-risking occurs when financial institutions terminate or restrict business relationships indiscriminately with broad categories of customers rather than analyzing and managing the risk of those customers. De-risking undermines several key U.S. government policy objectives by driving financial activity out of the regulated financial system, hampering remittances, preventing low- and middle-income segments of the population from efficiently accessing the financial system, and preventing the unencumbered transfer of humanitarian aid and disaster relief. The forum will convene government and the private sector in order to advance creative, collective solutions for combatting de-risking in the Pacific.

Last fall, Secretary Yellen met with Pacific Islands leaders during the US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit, where she reaffirmed Treasury’s commitment to work together to mitigate threats to Pacific countries’ macro-financial stability, including through addressing the impacts of a changing climate, promoting fiscal sustainability, and strengthening correspondent banking relationships in the region. The United States and Australia will continue working to support Pacific Island efforts to build health and economic resilience and advancing a positive vision for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

On  Monday July 8 th at 9:10 AM AEST / July 7 th at 7:10 PM EDT , Secretary Yellen will deliver pre-recorded virtual remarks to the forum.

At  9:15 AM AEST , Under Secretary Nelson will deliver keynote remarks at the Pacific Banking Forum on Treasury’s efforts to address de-risking and promote financial inclusion and connectivity in the Pacific.

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Air travel is getting worse. That’s what passengers are telling the US government

Holiday travelers wait for their luggage after arriving at Salt Lake City International Airport Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Travelers walk through Miami International Airport, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Vehicles drive along the departures area at Miami International Airport, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

A traveler walks through Miami International Airport, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Miami. A long Fourth of July holiday weekend is expected to create new travel records. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Passengers wait in line to go through TSA security screening at Orlando International Airport Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Holiday travelers pass through Salt Lake City International Airport Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Air travel got more miserable last year, if the number of consumer complaints filed with the U.S. government is any measure.

The Transportation Department said Friday that it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. The department said there were so many complaints that it took until July to sort through the filings and compile the figures.

That’s the highest number of consumer complaints about airlines since 2020, when airlines were slow to give customers refunds after the coronavirus pandemic shut down air travel.

The increase in complaints came even as airlines canceled far fewer U.S. flights — 116,700, or 1.2% of the total, last year, compared with about 210,500, or 2.3%, in 2022 , according to FlightAware data. However, delays remained stubbornly high last year, at around 21% of all flights.

So far this year, cancellations remain relatively low — about 1.3% of all flights — but delays are still running around 21%.

More than two-thirds of all complaints last year dealt with U.S. airlines , but a quarter covered foreign airlines. Most of the rest were about travel agents and tour operators.

Complaints about treating passengers with disabilities rose by more than one-fourth compared with 2022. Complaints of discrimination, while small in number, also rose sharply. Most were about race or national origin.

The Transportation Department said the increase in complaints was partly the result of more consumers knowing about their rights and the ability to file a complaint. The department said it helped Southwest Airlines customers get more than $600 million in refunds and reimbursements after the carrier canceled nearly 17,000 flights during December 2022. Southwest also paid a $35 million fine .

Airlines receive many more complaints from travelers who don’t know how or don’t bother to complain to the government, but the carriers don’t release those numbers.

The Transportation Department is modernizing its complaint-taking system, which the agency says will help it do a better job overseeing the airline industry. However, the department now releases complaint numbers many months late. It did not issue figures for the second half of 2023 until Friday.

The Transportation Department’s online complaint form is at https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint

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United States Signs Arrangement with Panama to Implement Removal Flight Program

WASHINGTON – Today, the United States and Panama announced the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin a new U.S. Department of State-funded foreign assistance program to address irregular migration in the region. This program will help the Panamanian government to remove foreign nationals who do not have a legal basis to remain in Panama. This assistance seeks to reduce unprecedented irregular migration through the Darien region, through which over 520,000 migrants transited in 2023.

The new arrangement between the United States and Panama advances collaboration on migration management, including support for safe and effective Panamanian repatriation operations that include protection screening. The removal flight program is part of the comprehensive regional approach to address irregular migration. Due to the unique mission set, DHS will support training and capacity building to strengthen and institutionalize safe, humane repatriation processes in Panama.

“Irregular migration is a regional challenge that requires a regional response,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas . “As the United States continues to secure our borders and remove individuals without a legal basis to remain, we are grateful for our partnership with Panama to manage the historic levels of migration across the Western Hemisphere.”

Under the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, the United States is working with 21 partners throughout the region to take coordinated actions to promote stability, expand lawful pathways and provide individuals with options to stay where they are, and humanely manage borders throughout the Americas.

DHS continues to enforce U.S. immigration laws and deliver tough consequences for those who do not have a lawful basis to remain in the United States, consistent with international obligations. On June 4, President Biden issued a Proclamation to temporarily suspend the entry of certain noncitizens across the Southern border. As a result, the Border Patrol’s 7-day encounter average has decreased more than 40% , and DHS has operated more than 120 international repatriation flights to more than 20 countries. A majority of all Southwest Border encounters during the past three fiscal years resulted in a removal, return, or expulsion.

The United States continues to urge migrants seeking to come to the United States to take advantage of the lawful pathways and processes that have been made available and significantly expanded. People should not put their lives in the hands of callous smugglers and cross our border unlawfully only to be removed.

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Find out how to apply for or renew a passport and what to do if your passport is lost or stolen.

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Passengers to US government: Air travel is getting worse

Complaints to US government from travellers are the highest since the COVID pandemic when airlines were slow to refund.

Air travel got more miserable last year, if the number of consumer complaints filed with the United States government is any measure.

The Department of Transportation said Friday that it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. The department said there were so many complaints that it took until July to sort through the filings and compile the figures.

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That’s the highest number of consumer complaints about airlines since 2020, when airlines were slow to give customers refunds after the coronavirus pandemic shut down air travel.

The increase in complaints came even as airlines cancelled far fewer US flights — 116,700, or 1.2 percent of the total, last year, compared with about 210,500, or 2.3 percent, in 2022, according to FlightAware data. However, delays remained stubbornly high last year, at about 21 percent of all flights.

More than two-thirds of all complaints last year dealt with US airlines, but a quarter covered foreign airlines. Most of the rest were about travel agents and tour operators.

Complaints about treating passengers with disabilities rose by more than one-fourth compared with 2022. Complaints of discrimination, while small in number, also rose sharply. Most were about race or national origin.

Airlines receive many more complaints from travellers who do not know how or do not bother to complain to the government, but the carriers do not release those numbers.

The Transportation Department is modernising its complaint-taking system, which the agency says will help it do a better job overseeing the airline industry. However, the department currently releases complaint numbers many months late. It did not issue figures for the second half of 2023 until Friday.

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Learn about your destination

Making plans to travel abroad? Read our Traveler’s Checklist , to find out:

• Specific information about your destination
• What documents you will need
• How to get overseas insurance coverage
• Where to sign up for our free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

Sometimes – in spite of good planning – things can still go wrong. Prepare for the unexpected by reading about how to plan for a crisis overseas.

Additional Tips for Traveling Abroad

Downloadable Traveler’s Checklist PDF card

Travelers with Special Considerations

Enroll in STEP

Subscribe to get up-to-date safety and security information and help us reach you in an emergency abroad.

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Make two copies of all of your travel documents in case of emergency, and leave one with a trusted friend or relative.

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