The DOT’s rules when it comes to complaining about an airline

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) rules when complaining about an airline that operates to and from the United States of America, USA and airlines flying domestic routes within the USA.

These rules are clearly defined to help passengers make complaints about an airline, guiding them on how to complain and how an airline should respond to their complaint. Complaining can be overwhelming for the majority of airline passengers.

Elderly passengers may struggle with complaining online, should an airline advise passengers to complain online.

However, following these DOT rules can help simplify the complaint procedure for air passengers who have a complaint with an airline, helping them make a complaint with ease and finding a resolution to their complaint in a timely and professional manner.

Expectations have increased with the popularity of air travel and the increased costs of flights, continually increasing.

Complaining should be a straight forward process for consumers, with the basic basis of a complaint being to include all required information about the complaint, the flight, when addressing the airline in question in the hope of them receiving the complaint and responding accordingly. This could be an automatic refund or another resolution such as reimbursement for a lost luggage article.

All airlines are required by the DOT to respond to customer complaints. It may not always be the response consumers are hoping for, such a short apology which outlines the airlines' procedure in that situation, with no desired compensation included or help as to how the airline will avoid this happening to other passengers traveling.

Stating the outcome which you desire when making a complaint can be helpful for the airline in understanding how they can best resolve your complaint.

An airline's reputation is important, negative press and online reviews can negatively impact a passengers’ desire to travel with the airline.

Putting complaints right can help an airline maintain its reputation, online reviews and its frequent travelers' loyalty to the airline, as well as to ensure repeat business from its new passengers.

Complaints to airlines range from lengthy flight delays which can then result in missed onward connecting flights. Complaints can also include:

• Dissatisfaction with the airlines’ onboard service
• Lost, damaged and delayed luggage
• Downgrades of flying class, booking a first-class ticket and being downgraded to business class for your flight
• Lack of requested seat assignments
• Onboard cleanliness and onboard incidents which result in diversions such as unruly passengers or medical incidents occurring during a flight
• Flights that are oversold and passengers being refused and unable to board their booked flight

Complaints can also include dissatisfaction with the airlines’ onboard service, such as no requested special meals given, when the passenger ordered them or lost, damaged and delayed luggage.

Chris Dong covers new technology with United and Delta Air Lines, being able to use the technology of Apple air tags to help locate lost luggage.

Downgrades of flying class, booking a first-class ticket and being downgraded to business class for your flight can also mean passengers complain as they have paid for that particular class of travel when booking their flight initially.

A lack of requested seat assignments, such as families being split up and seated separately, onboard cleanliness and onboard incidents which result in diversions such as unruly passengers or medical incidents occurring during a flight whereby the flight needs to divert to a new destination are other reasons airlines receive complaints.

Flights that are oversold, whereby all booked passengers arrive at the airport and too many seats have been sold, some passengers will be turned away.

Passengers are refused and unable to board their original booked flight because of the overselling of seats, which can then result in a complaint or a number of complaints made to the airline.

However, the majority of airlines around the world oversell seats. Lost luggage can be a reason for complaints by passengers, as shown in the guide to recovering luggage in a handy 5-step guide:

Every month an Air Travel Consumer Report is published by the DOT. This report includes how many complaints have been made and the type of issues faced by passengers.

The report also states which airlines were most complained about. A popular trend in the report is canceled flights. Canceled flights mean passengers may need to book another flight and then be compensated for their original booking.

The airline may not have placed them on another available flight, the airline may not have placed them on another available flight, meaning they have also missed accommodation reservations or airport transfers upon arrival.

Flight cancelations can be a stressful experience for passengers, as reported by Statista Research Department.

“In 2023, approximately 87,900 flights of major U.S. air carriers were canceled.”

The DOT office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) helps to handle complaints relating to the service an airline has provided. They first advise passengers to complain to the airline itself or the travel company used when booking the flight.

The OACP has an online complaint form to assist should the airline or travel company not satisfy your complaint with the desired outcome.

The OACP also has a mailing address where written correspondence can be sent, whereby documents accompanying the complaint, including all flight and contact details of the person making the complaint should be included.

Should any laws have being violated, further action can be taken by the DOT. This can also help when making changes to regulations currently in place within the aviation industry. Discrimination complaints see a 26% rise as reported by simply flying:

With the ease of online bookings widely used by passengers to book their tickets, price can be a key factor in choosing an available flight. Booking with an online travel agency or directly with the airline can change the complaints’ procedure, with some airlines advising passengers to contact the agent they used to book their flight, who can then rearrange a new ticket for them or refund them directly to their original payment method, such as their debit card.

Passengers are usually directed to the airlines’ complaints procedure for airlines directly on the airlines’ website, their electronic ticket confirmation or with the airline ticket desks and airport gates directly at the airport when traveling.

Complaining can help airlines improve their services by noticing any trends in complaints on particular flight routes when receiving complaints regarding a particular airport or common reoccurring complaints such as onboard meal service and food quality.

This can help with future training of airline staff or amending procedures already in place to help improve the overall passenger experience, thus avoiding future complaints and problems for their customers.

Online complaints can also attract negative press for airlines, with videos commonly uploaded of onboard flight service, which can help to tarnish an airline's reputation and people’s willingness to fly with the airline.

Frontier airlines received the most complaints in 2023 compared with other US airlines.

The internet can provide guidance on how to complain, alongside the DOT’s website with clear guidance on how to make an airline complaint.

Various online videos can also help guide passengers with simple step-by-step guidance on how to complain, should their flight be delayed and how to claim compensation.

DOT rules include an airline having a set timeframe to respond to customer complaints, 30 days is the requirement for written complaints to be acknowledged by and 60 days for a full response to be given by the airline.

Complaints can result in legal action, so the airline must respond how they state they will in their complaint procedures and by the DOT specified time frames.

Many US airlines are attracting a considerable number of complaints about various issues as shown in the Simple Flying article which discusses common complaints made.

Compensation may take some time to be received following a complaint. However, most airlines have procedures in place to assist passengers in times of need.

Dedicated complaint teams deal with such complaints, by telephone or responding to written and online complaints through online chats, for example.

Should a flight be canceled, airline representatives working at the airport would usually assist passengers in re-booking them onto an upcoming flight with the airline or another airline who has a flight available or advising the passengers how they can receive a refund for the canceled flight.

Canceled flights were rated among the highest reasons for airline complaints in February 2023. An article from Upgraded Points shows which US airlines have the highest percentage of canceled flights. This could most definitely impact a passengers' decision when booking their flights.

“Flight problems was the highest category of complaints received in February 2023 noted by the DOT. Of the 6,644 complaints received, 2,115 (31.8%) concerned cancelations, delays, or other deviations from airlines’ schedules.”

Should a flight be canceled, this could be because of bad weather conditions in the departure country, resulting in the need for the plane to de-ice. Airline representatives can provide food and beverage vouchers to be used at the airport for passengers facing a flight cancelation.

Hotel reservations can be made and even help with an emergency comfort pack including toiletries and a spare pair of clothing for those with no luggage on their arrival following a lost luggage incident.

Keeping receipts for any items purchased should be kept, to forward to the airline when making a complaint. The DOT advises those complaining to include all contact details with an airline complaint, a full description of events and how you would like the airline to put things right.

Online guides written for Simple Flying can help with lost luggage issues when traveling.

Passengers themselves have even taken their complaints further, creating their own website which ranks airlines on most lost luggage.

Small claim courts can also be used in a final instance should you have an unsuccessful outcome with the airlines’ complaint procedure and with not getting your complaint responded to or resolved in the way you wish to.

This could be a stressful time for passengers having to resort to using a small claims court to have their problem heard by the airline.

The small claims court can help you receive the compensation or complaint resolution needed, which the airline itself thus far has failed to do.