Air complaints soar after a year of chaos

Flight cancellations caused the most dissatisfaction, followed by delays and lost baggage.

The Air Transport Users Council received 12,046 written and telephone complaints in the period from April 2006 to March 2007 - 22 per cent more than in the previous 12 months.

More than half the complaints (6,600) follow the introduction of new compensation rules for passengers who are bumped off full planes or victims of cancellation or delay.

But there was also a near trebling of gripes about baggage allowances.

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There was also a threefold increase in complaints about tax on flight tickets, which the council claimed was "masquerading as a green environmental tax when it was nothing of the sort".

Its report said general changes to baggage allowances brought in by airlines, as well as tighter Government rules on hand luggage imposed following a security alert in August, had contributed to the rise in complaints.

Heavy fog at Heathrow last Christmas, which caused severe disruption to flights, was also a factor.

Since then, security alerts at Glasgow and Heathrow airports have led to more chaos, with British Airways passengers alone suffering more than 25,000 lost bags.

"Too many of the complaints were from passengers who had incurred expenses that they should not have incurred if the airlines had honoured their legal obligations," the report noted.

An AUC spokesman warned passengers flying next month to brace themselves.

He said: "We expect matters to get worse and for complaints to rise over August. It's the busy holiday period when most people fly. Heathrow has no spare capacity. It's particularly acute for BA at Terminal 4, which has already been subject to lost baggage problems in recent weeks."

AUC chairman Tina Tietjen said: "We accept that innovations such as online check-in and baggage charges are legitimate commercial decisions.

"But airlines and airport operators must be careful that the changes they make are put in place with the best interests of their customers at heart and not in the interest solely of cutting costs.

"It is in everyone's interest that the whole experience of flying is not made so tiresome that some passengers decide it is not worth the effort and decide to stay at home, however cheap the fare."

The EU regulations on compensation are aimed at cracking down on airlines who cancel half-empty flights to save money.

Passengers can demand compensation of up to £420 if their long-haul flight of more than 2,170 miles is cancelled, or they are bumped off.

Cancelled flights of up to 930 miles will trigger compensation payments of up to £178, while those up to 2,170 miles may be entitled to £285.

Airlines can avoid paying compensation if the delay or cancellation was caused by "extraordinary circumstances" including bad weather, mechanical faults or even strikes outside their reasonable control.

However, a "care package" of assistance - such as free meals, two free phone calls during long delays, plus hotel accommodation if the delay stretches overnight - must be provided.