If a passenger is dissatisfied with a recent flight, they typically call the airline or airport. But if you can manage either, your next move will probably be to contact the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Customers file complaints in what is called the TSA Contact Center Traveler Complaint Report.
Rustic Pathways, a student travel company, conducted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) analysis of passenger complaints to the TSA’s contact center from 2015 to 2024.
This data is based on a study of 63 of America’s busiest airports. To calculate each airport’s complaint rate per 100,000 passengers, we compared complaints to the number of in-flight accidents that occurred each year.
Four of Florida’s top airports ranked in the top 10 for airports with the most complaints.
Orlando International Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and Jacksonville International Airport all ranked among the 10 airports with the highest complaint rates.
Orlando International Airport had the third highest complaint rate in the nation, with 9.15 complaints per 100,000 passengers. The airport received 20,029 complaints over the past 10 years, with the most common complaints being about “mishandling of passenger property” (26.3%), “customer service” (17.7%), and “inspection” (14.2%).
Palm Beach International Airport ranked fourth with 8.57 complaints per 100,000 passengers. A total of 2,686 complaints were recorded at Florida airports, with the top causes being “mishandling of passenger property” (25.5%), “rapid passenger screening program” (22.2%), and “customer service” (17.5%).
Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers ranked seventh with 8.53 complaints per 100,000 passengers. Of the 3,921 complaints, the most common categories were “mishandling of passenger property” (25.5%), “rapid passenger screening program” (23.2%), and “customer service” (17.8%).
Jacksonville International Airport ranked 8th. 2,357 complaints were received, with the top causes being “mishandling of passenger property” (22.6%), “rapid passenger screening program” (22.1%), and “customer service” (14.8%).
Nationally, Albuquerque International Sunport had the highest overall complaint rate.
