"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

When you have a legitimate complaint with an airline the worst thing you can do is call and vent your frustration on a customer service representative who isn't responsible for your plight and has no authority to fix it. Instead, write a flame letter and pour all your anger, indignity, frustration and hostility into it. Make grandiose threats of bodily injury and ruining the offending person's life and airline's business. Now, rip it up, burn it, or frame. It doesn't matter; just let it go. You are now ready to get down to the business of writing a Complaint Letter that the airlines will take seriously.

What You Need To Know Before You Start Writing

Whether you are in the midst of the incident or at home ready to start writing your complaint letter there are several things you need to do to be ready to write a letter that will get results:

  • Evaluate unemotionally whether you have been truly wronged by the airline. While you can't hold the airline accountable for weather or a state of emergency that closes an airport, you can expect fair treatment. If your flight was delayed by an hour or the service representative was having a bad day, however, is not enough to sue an airline and could wind up making you a defendant in a frivolous lawsuit.
  • When a situation arises speak calmly to someone with authority to resolve the problem. It is always better to resolve the issue on the spot in an ad hoc negotiation. Don't be afraid to go as high up the chain of command as you need to resolve the issue right then. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. If there is any doubt the issue cannot be resolved immediately to your satisfaction write down the full name, title and department of each person you spoke with and any airline employees involved in the incident. Write a brief summary of the facts, times, places, and events to refer to in your complaint letter.
  • Do your research and know your rights. Before you write a letter to the airline determine whether you have a legal basis to make your demands. Is the airline breaking the law? Is the airline breaking its own contract for carriage of service? Or, is the airline simply engaging in poor customer relations? Knowing where you stand legally will help you craft the appropriate letter with reasonable demands given the facts. You can obtain a copy of Fly-Rights, A Consumer Guide to Air Travel from DOT to familiarize yourself with your air travel rights.
  • Determine how you plan to send your letter. While many businesses have improved in recent years regarding responding to email complaints, your letter may still fall into a cyber wasteland. If you decide to email your letter, typically give the airline ten days to respond. If you fax your letter, make sure you retain the verification confirming it was sent. A fax can help expedite the dispute process as the airline will receive a fax the same day and the time to respond can be shortened to five business days versus the suggested two weeks for regular mail. The safest course however, is to send the complaint letter by U.S. certified mail giving the airline 10 business days to respond.
  • Time is of the essence. Don't wait to write your complaint letter. The longer you wait the more likely the airline won't take you seriously or the less committed you will be to following through to a satisfactory resolution.

Who Should You Include In Your Complaint Letter

Airline Executives:

Look up the right airline executive to submit your complaint letter. Depending on the issue, you may want to send your letter to the President or CEO or a VP of marketing, Customer Service, Safety or other appropriate department. While the President or VP probably won't read your letter, it will be forward through the executive assistant to someone who will take your letter seriously. This will be the case if the problem involves a serious issue such as safety or discrimination. If your issue is purely customer service related, starting with the Customer Service Manager and ccing the appropriate vice president is likely to bring you the best results. If you receive little or no cooperation in resolving the matter then write directly to the vice president referencing those cced letters.

The airline, however, is not the only agency to which you should send your letter. There are several governmental and consumer agencies that keep track of complaints and ccing these organizations on your letter can have an impact on the airline's decision to take you seriously.

Governmental Agencies:

Consumer Agencies:

Writing Your Congressman:

You may also want to consider writing your state representatives regarding egregious issues, such as safety, and discrimination based on disability, race or other orientation or similar issues. Write the congressional members of the Aviation subcommittee which holds hearings on legislation that may protect or take away your rights regarding the airlines. Without making your voice heard, you will not be alone in sitting in silence which others suffer the same fate.

To contact members of the Aviation subcommittee click here.

Writing The Complaint Letter

  • Now you are ready to write your complaint letter.
  • Take a few deep breaths and remain calm. Remember your aim is not to rant and rave but to get just compensation for the wrong committed against you by the airline.
  • If you flew on business, use the corporate stationary or company letterhead. The bigger you seem in terms of dollars flying on that airline, the more attention will be paid to your letter.
  • Always address your complaint to someone. If you have a complaint regarding safety issues, send your letter to the VP of aircraft safety. If you have a complaint about customer service, send the letter to the VP of customer service or the department head. If you have a complaint about frequent flyer miles send your complaint to the VP of marketing. While it is unlikely the president, CEO or chairman will read your letter, these execs typically have a staff whose job includes handling letters addressed to them personally. Expect a letter generically addressed to "Sir or Madam" or "Customer Service Manager", to be handled generically.
  • Keep your letter succinct, focusing on the pertinent facts. Provide essential details while keeping it as brief as possible. If your letter is longer than two pages, it is too long. As a general rule keep your letter to one page.
  • Your opening sentence must clarify your importance to the airline in terms of dollars and cents. Identify your frequent flyer mileage number if you are an elite member, the average number of trips flown per year (regardless of the airline) if substantial, influence in a company with a high level of travel, or any other factor that will catch the reader's attention, marking you as someone to take seriously. If you are the occasional traveler with no clout don't try to fake it. If you go to court your white lies may catch up with you and harm your credibility.
  • Give a brief accounting of the facts. These include when the ticket was purchased, whether from the airline, a travel agent or discount house (if relevant), the flight number, departure and destination information and the events surrounding the incident.
  • Always summarize all efforts made at the time of the incident to amicably resolve the issue.
  • Use your research to state how the airline has violated the law or its contract for carriage of service resulting in your injury. This paragraph should be no longer than one to three sentences. Now is not the time to dazzle the reader with your research skills, but merely to show that you know where you stand legally and you know your rights.

    If you are injured or luggage is lost or damaged during an international flight the Warsaw Convention applies. Domestically there are specific federal regulation regarding denied-boarding compensation and lost/damaged luggage. Outside these areas, a right to sue an airline is dependent on the cause of action and the jurisdiction in which you file. If you have a serious issue, such as a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act or some form of discrimination it is strongly suggested that you consult an attorney before communicating with the airline.
  • State clearly what compensation you want from the airline. It is always best to set out your demands in a bullet or numbered format, as this is the crux of your letter. Be clear about what you want, whether it is reimbursement for your ticket and other expenses, frequent flier miles, a complimentary ticket, or some other form of compensation that will make you feel whole. If you would be content with bonus miles or points, flight upgrades, or discount coupons, ask for them here as comparable substitution. If you are a frequent traveler, asking for immediate elevation to the next level of elite status might also be an option as well. Remember, however, as in any negotiation if you start too low you have nowhere to go but down and if you ask for too much you won't be taken seriously and could end up with nothing. The more reasonable your demands the more likely the airline will take you seriously. You will also have a guideline of what the airline will reimburse from your legal and carriage of service research.
  • End your letter reaffirming your desire to resolve the situation quickly and amicably. Give the airline a date by which to respond as discussed above. Inform the airline that if no response is forth coming within the specified time you will be forced to look at legal remedies to resolve the issue. You are again reaffirming to the airline that you consider this matter serious and are willing to take legal action to achieve a just resolution.
  • Always provide contact information so that the airline can contact you by mail, phone or email. If you are in a different time zone mention the time change and provide both a daytime and nighttime number if possible.
  • Always attach a copy of your ticket and all relevant receipts. These may include hotel bill, taxi rides, and meals due to an overbooked, delayed or cancelled flight, receipts for damaged or lost item in luggage, etc. Even if requested by the airline, never send the airline any original receipt. Keep your original receipts together in preparation for your case.
  • CC all appropriate federal and/or state governmental agencies and relevant consumer agencies. In some cases the treatment of the airline may be so egregious you may want to include your state senator. Any complaint letter should always be cc'ed to the Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT compiles statistics regarding airline complaints. When there is a sufficient need DOT will bring a suit against the airlines based on serious repeat offenses.

For example see Sample Complaint Letters on this site.

Always Remain Dogged And Follow Up With The Airline:

You wrote a great complaint letter and sent it to the airline by certified mail. It's now the last day for the airline to respond and you hear nothing. Or, you receive a noncommittal letter that says the airline will look into the matter and get back to you. What do you do?

While a great complaint letter at times can immediately resolve the issue, often the airline needs to be shown you are serious. If you have not received a response by your specified date, give the airline three additional business days as the response may be in the mail. If you still have heard nothing write a follow up letter stating that you are disappointed in the airline's lack of response to your concerns given your relationship with the airline. Always stress the business you give the airline, the good will you can take elsewhere. Briefly summarize your position again in one paragraph. State that this is your final correspondence on the matter and that if you do not hear from the airline in "X" days you will take all appropriate legal action. If you are mailing the letter, send certified and give the airline 5 business days to respond. If faxing the letter give the airline three business days to respond. If you are responding via e-mail give them 5 business days to respond. If you receive an unsatisfactory response, such as the airline is looking into the matter and will respond once their investigation is complete, give the airline no longer than 30 days to complete the investigation. If you have heard nothing, send a follow-up letter.

It is always important to follow up your initial complaint letter so that the airline realizes that you aren't going to be satisfied with sending a hateful letter and slinking off to lick your wounds like so many wronged consumers. It is important to show the airline you are going to be a legal thorn in their side until the issue is resolved.

Always write down the day and time of every call, note the full names, departments, and extension numbers of any individuals you speak with, and keep copies of all letters, emails, and paperwork. And always remain calm and professional when dealing with anyone from the airline, but remain firm and determined in your intention. While being courteous make it clear that you will not be deterred.

If the airline simply refuses to do anything and essentially tells you to jump in the lake then its time to file in small claims court or consult an attorney if you want to file in higher courts.

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