Hotels, traditionally the No. 1 source of travel complaints, have been eclipsed by airline woes.
Airline related issues outnumbered all other travel complaints by a wide margin in an informal members survey by the US Tour Operators Association (USTOA).
More than two thirds of responding members cited airline problems as the most common complaint.
In second place: money related issues, cited by 20% of respondents.
The most common airline-related complaints were missed connecting flights because of airline delays and cancellations. Second was a lack of service.
Other complaints cited by customers of tour operators were airline cutbacks, full/overbooked flights and lengthy check-in procedures, including security.
The second most common type of complaints related to money included high airfares, added taxes, fuel surcharges and the European exchange rate. Of the money-related complaints, airline-related costs and the weak dollar were the most common.
Hotels have traditionally been the biggest source of consumer complaints, said Bob Whitley, USTOA president.
Only a tiny percentage of USTOA members cited complaints regarding dissatisfaction with accommodations.
The survey was based on responses of 33 total operators representing more than half of USTOA members.
Report by David Wilkening
