If passengers are unhappy with a recent flight, they normally call their airline or the airport. But if they can get anywhere with either, most likely their next move will be contacting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Customers make their complaints to what is known as the TSA Contact Center Traveler Complaints Reports.
Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Student travel company Rustic Pathways analyzed complaints made by passengers to TSA’s Contact Center from 2015 to 2024.
The data looked at 63 of America’s busiest airports. Complaints were compared to the number of enplanements that took place each year to calculate the rate of complaints per 100,000 passengers at each airport.
Four of Florida’s top airports made the ten when it came to the most complaints.
Orlando International Airport, Palm Beach International, Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International, and Jacksonville International all featured among the 10 airports with the highest complaint rates.
Orlando International Airport received the third-highest complaint rate nationwide, with 9.15 complaints per 100,000 passengers. The airport received 20,029 complaints throughout the 10-year period, with the largest proportion being due to ‘Mishandling of Passenger Property’ (26.3%), ‘Customer Service’ (17.7%), and ‘Screening’ (14.2%).
Palm Beach International Airport was the fourth highest, with 8.57 complaints per 100,000 passengers. The Florida airport recorded 2,686 total complaints, with ‘Mishandling of Passenger Property’ (25.5%), ‘Expedited Passenger Screening Program’ (22.2%), and ‘Customer Service’ (17.5%) being the biggest causes
Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers came seventh with 8.53 complaints per 100,000 passengers. Of the 3,921 complaints, ‘Mishandling of Passenger Property’ (25.5%), ‘Expedited Passenger Screening Program’ (23.2%), and ‘Customer Service’ (17.8%) were the most common categories.
Jacksonville International Airport ranked eighth. It received 2,357 complaints, with ‘Mishandling of Passenger Property’ (22.6%), ‘Expedited Passenger Screening Program’ (22.1%), and ‘Customer Service’ (14.8%) being the biggest causes.
Nationally, Albuquerque International Sunport had the highest overall complaint rate.
