Flight delays on the nation's major airlines eased during January, but complaints about airline service continued to climb, according to a new report from the Department of Transportation. The nation's 10 biggest commercial carriers posted an average 76.6 percent on-time record during the month, up from December's rate of 62.8 percent. Northwest Airlines (NWAC: news, msgs, alerts) topped the list with 81 percent of its flights arriving on time, while Continental (CAL: news, msgs, alerts) was a close second at 80.6 percent. Alaska Airlines (ALK: news, msgs, alerts) was at the bottom of the list. But, while airlines improved their timeliness, travelers were less satisfied with service. The DOT says passengers registered 2,221 complaints in January, an increase of nearly 73 percent from December and 9 percent more than the same time last year. DOT spokesman Bill Mosley says, "We're making it easier to complain ... people can complain via email through our Web site and we now have text-messaging capabilities for the hearing impaired."
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