AIR TRAVEL : Airlines Get Fewer Gripes From Fliers

WASHINGTON — Passenger complaints against the nation’s airlines continued to decline last month, according to the Department of Transportation.

The department, in its monthly Air Travel Consumer Report released Wednesday, said Pan American, Trans World and Hawaiian airlines topped the complaint list.

The department said Pan Am received 7.58 complaints per 100,000 passengers in April, TWA 6.91 and Hawaiian 6.53. All were well below last year’s figures for each airline.

Overall, complaints received by the department against airlines declined from 970 in March to 933 in April. There were 2,100 in April, 1988.

The most dissatisfaction a year ago was reported against Continental Airlines, with 14.94 per 100,000 passengers, and Eastern Airlines, with 12.48. Both airlines are owned by Texas Air Corp.

Eastern, which has shut down most of its operations because of a strike, received 1.83 complaints per 100,000 passengers last month, and Continental 3.91.

The 12 largest carriers reported that 72.3% of their flights operated on time in March, the latest month for which statistics were available. The February figure was 72.4%. Eastern was not included in the latest report because of the strike, the department said.

Mishandled baggage reports filed against the carriers in March increased to 7.53 per 1,000 passengers from 7.36 in February, the report said.

ON-TIME PERFORMANCE

Percentage of flights in March arriving on time. That is defined as arriving within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. Eastern Airlines, which led the February list, is not included because its operations were severely reduced by a strike.

Airline % America West 84.9 Northwest 82.1 Continental 78.1 Alaska 77.4 Delta 76.7 Southwest 75.3 USAir 73.0 American 70.6 Pan American 69.1 TWA 66.8 United 66.4 Piedmont 56.1

Source: Associated Press CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

Consumer complaints in April, per 100,000 passengers carried by the airline. The report covers a wide variety of consumer complaints, including problems with oversales, resevations and ticketing, fares, refunds, baggage handling, customer service, advertising, credit, smoking and so forth.

Airline % Pan Am 7.58 Trans World 6.91 Hawaiian 6.53 Braniff 4.32 Continental 3.91 American Trans 2.21 United 2.11 Northwest 2.08 America Wst 1.94 Eastern 1.83 Piedmont 1.73 American 1.61 Midway 1.55 USAir 1.40 Air Wisconsin 1.27 Southwest 0.94 Delta 0.89 Aloha 0.33 Alaska 0.32

Source: Associated Press