Airport Avenger: Tips and Top Secrets for Airlines, Airfares, Fees, Security and Cancelations
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Take It Up a Notch
Complaints That Count
Let the Department of Transportation hear about it. Send DOT a complaint online here. It's a quick, easy way to be heard. DOT takes complaints seriously.
The airlines say they take them seriously too. A handful of complaints can make a difference in how they rank in the monthly government report.
The airlines don't necessarily tell DOT about all the complaints they get. The only way DOT will know about your problem for sure is if you let them know.
What's Everybody Complaining About?
The Major Beefs:
- Cancellations, Delays, Connections
- Baggage
- Reservations and Ticketing
- Customer Service
- Refunds
- Fares
- Disability
- Oversales
- Frequent Fliers
- Discrimination
- Advertising
- Animals
Source: Dept. of Transportation
Talk to a Real Person. What a Concept!
Tired of talking to computers and listening to endless, horrible music and sales pitches while you wait for someone---ANYONE---to pick up the phone and talk to you? You might find a shortcut around the recorded jibber-jabber at this website: GetHuman.com. People who have found ways around the computer messages by punching in the right combination of numbers to go straight to a human (or reasonable facsimile) share that information here, in a searchable list of company names. And, yes, the major airlines are on the list.
Sometimes companies catch on and change the magic number combinations, but the new codes will be discovered. Mr. or Ms. VIP simply doesn't have the time to fool around with computerized messages. They jump the line and talk to real people. So should you.
A Little Bird Told Me...
Tweet or post a message about your experience on the airlines' Twitter and Facebook pages and on your own. The airlines are paying more attention to social media sites--not just for public relations and marketing, but to see what people are saying about them.
Government rules say the airlines must respond to all written communications to them from passengers. That includes email, Twitter and Facebook. So start tweeting.
Take it to the Top.
If you want to do as much as you can to make your complaint heard, send a registered letter to the CEO of the airline.
American Airlines
Tom Horton, CEO
P.O. Box 619616
Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport
Dallas, TX 75161-9616
United-Continental Holdings
United Airlines
Continental Airlines
Jeffrey Smisek, CEO
UAL Corp. World Headquarters
P.O. Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666
Delta Air Lines
Richard Anderson, CEO
P.O. Box 20706
Atlanta, CGA 30320-6001
US Airways
Doug Parker, CEO
4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Southwest Airlines
AirTran Airways
Gary Kelly, CEO
P.O. Box 36647 - 1CR
Dallas, Texas 75235-1647
JetBlue Airways
Dave Barger, CEO
118-29 Queens Boulevard
Forest Hills, NY 11375
More tips and top secrets about complaints that count:
Is Anybody Listening?
Speak Up!
Security Complaints