How to Write a Complaint Letter to an Airline

I travel a lot because of my work. I've been flying for over 10 years and have flown many different airlines. As such, I've seen and experienced just about every scenario you can imagine at an airport and in the air. I've been through delays, I've had flight cancellations, I've slept at airports, and I know all the routines on how best to be an efficient traveler. I also know all the perks, such as where to find the shortest lines through security, what tactics to use to try and get a free upgrade, etc.

So, with all this experience, I'd like to share how I've come to master the art of writing a complaint letter to an airline. If you have a legitimate complaint that involves anything from bad service to lost luggage, you have the potential to receive some form of compensation. But in order for this to happen, you must be able to craft a well-written complaint letter that spells out all the details necessary in a tone that makes you sound like a Vulcan or at least like you've got a good head on your shoulders.

So, as my first advice in writing a complaint letter, make sure your letter sounds professional and is ice cold with logic. Do not start off a letter with words such as "Dear Jerk" or "Dear scum." And certainly do not sound like a hysterical or crazy person in the letter. These types of offensive letters will simply be shoved into a trash can. After all, it is far easier to ignore a crazy person than it is someone with the tone of an ice cold lawyer. So, write a courteous but firm letter that spells out all the cold details.

Although you want to be courteous, make it absolutely clear that you are outraged and shocked by what happened. Indicate that you will not take this lying down. Feel free to express any grief you have, as long as you don't over do it to the point of sounding irrational.

In no uncertain terms, ask for compensation. Make sure they understand that they shouldn't just let this go. The amount of compensation will depend on the nature of the complaint. For complaints of bad service, a credit of about $50 to be used towards the purchase of your next flight is reasonable. A cancelled flight (if it was their fault and not the weather) could result in a much larger credit or possibly a free future flight. If you do an internet search, you should be able to get an approximate range of the likely compensation for your situation.

Let them know that you are serious by indicating that you are contemplating publicizing the incidence in some media outlet including writing letters to newspapers and magazines, including those associated with the aviation industry. Again, let the airline know that you are a calm, rational person who can do a lot of detrimental publicizing.

As you write your letter, make sure you have all the details of your experience including flight number, departure and arrival airports, flight dates and times, the names and ID of any airline personnel that were involved. Again, this is related to the idea that it is difficult to dismiss someone who is calm, rational, and has all the pertinent information to properly document the incidence.

If you are sending a letter through regular (snail) mail, then make absolutely sure that you are sending it to the right department (e.g., complaints department) within the airline. Make sure you find the correct address before you leave the airport. Since different departments within an airline have little incentive to make sure a letter is properly routed, an inappropriate address will likely get the letter tossed in a trash can.

Fortunately, most of the larger airlines appear to allow the submission of a letter through the internet. You can go directly to the airline's website to type in a complaint letter. You will sleep easier knowing that the letter was submitted to the right place and in such a quick fashion.