If an airline has not given you a refund you are owed, has broken a rule, or has not honored a commitment it made in writing, you can complain to the US Department of Transportation. It is free, it takes about 15 minutes, and airlines have to respond.
Start with the airline
Give the airline a chance first. Write to its customer relations team through its website, with:
- your booking reference, flight numbers and dates
- what happened, briefly and in order
- which rule or commitment applies, for example the refund rule, or a meal or hotel commitment in its customer service plan
- what you are asking for: a refund, reimbursement of receipts, or something else
- copies of your evidence
US airlines must acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days and send a substantive response within 60 days.
When to go to the DOT
- The airline has not paid a refund you are owed under the refund rule.
- You were bumped involuntarily and not paid the right compensation. See bumped from a flight.
- The airline broke the tarmac delay rules.
- The airline did not honor a commitment in its customer service plan, such as meals or a hotel for a controllable delay. See meal and hotel vouchers.
- Problems with baggage, disability assistance, or discrimination.
- The airline has not responded to you, or has refused without a good reason.
How to file
- Go to the DOT's air travel complaint page at transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint.
- Choose the type of complaint and fill in the form: your details, the airline, flight number, date and booking reference.
- Describe what happened in a few short paragraphs: what went wrong, what rule or commitment applies, what you have already asked the airline for and what it said, and what you want now.
- Attach your evidence.
Evidence that helps
- Booking confirmation and boarding passes
- Screenshots of delay or cancellation notices, including the reason given
- Your refund request, and the airline's replies
- Receipts for meals, hotels and transport
- The relevant lines of the airline's customer service plan
- Your own notes of times and names
This is why every guide on this site says to keep a record. See step 8 of what to do when your flight is delayed.
What happens next
The DOT sends your complaint to the airline, which must respond to you. The DOT also uses complaints to spot patterns and take enforcement action, and publishes complaint figures for each airline. It does not act as your lawyer, and it cannot order compensation for your individual losses, but a DOT complaint often gets a stalled refund moving.
Other routes
- Card dispute. If you paid by credit card and did not get a refund you are owed, dispute the charge with your card issuer. Act quickly, as there are time limits.
- Small claims court. For unpaid expenses the airline committed to cover, small claims court is an option in many states.
- Flights in Europe. Compensation under European rules is claimed from the airline, then through national bodies. See EU261 for US travelers.
This guide is general information for US travelers, not legal advice. Rules and airline commitments change; check with your airline or the US Department of Transportation for your specific situation.