Here Are The Physical Addresses, Fax Numbers And URLs
For The Major Airlines.
To Learn How To Complain
Properly Scroll Down
So the question isn't whether life on the road is awful. Of course, it is. The question is whether you're going to get compensated for the indignities.
Readers ask me all the time if complaint letters to airlines or hotels or car-rental firms are actually worth the effort. My answer is always an unequivocal "Yes!" That is especially true in recent years because the major carriers apparently have adopted a squeaky-wheel strategy. They know almost everyone is getting a raw deal, so they seem to be saving their apologies and compensation offers for the small percentage of travelers who take the time to write and complain. They feel it is cheaper and easier to pay off anyone who squawks rather than concentrate on giving every customer a fair shake.
So I say go for it. If you've been particularly disrespected recently--and, remember, this is business travel, so you should be accustomed to a modicum of abuse--don't shrug your shoulders and accept it. Use this crash course--consider it Creative Complaining 101--to get some satisfaction.
GO FOR IMMEDIATE
GRATIFICATION
The
best complaint letter is the one you never write. Do whatever you can to
solve the problem on the spot. If you can't get instant gratification from the
person with whom you're dealing, then you should ask to speak to someone higher
up the corporate food chain. Schedule permitting, it's worth investing some time
in an on-site, ad hoc arbitration session.
TAKE GOOD NOTES
As a business traveler, you
should have a sense, very early in the process, when something is going wrong.
So start taking notes immediately: Get times, places, names and as many
specifics as you can. Hold on to all receipts, tickets, boarding passes, and
anything else that's part of the paper trail. And think like a business person.
Keep track of anything and everything you'd want to know if it was your
job to resolve the situation retroactively.
ACT FAST
Don't throw your complaint
file in the corner with your expense account. The longer you wait, the less
likely it is that you'll get satisfaction. Initiate your complaint as soon as
you get back home. It's the first thing you should do after you
unpack.
GO WITH PAPER
We all may be more
comfortable with E-mail these days, but most airlines and hotels are unwilling
or unable to resolve problems electronically. Rely on an old-fashioned paper
letter and snail mail. Use company stationary if you were on company business.
(By the way, handwritten notes don't cut it.) And make sure to attach
copies--not originals--of all relevant pieces of the paper trail.
SEND THE LETTER TO
SOMEBODY
If your
complaint is with a specific hotel or a particular airport station, find out the
name of the general manager or station manager and address the letter to that
person. Unhappy with the frequent-travel program? Write to the vice president of
marketing. If your complaint is about a hotel chain, airline or car-rental firm,
write to the president, chief executive or chairman. Will you actually get a
response from the top dog? Probably not. But most executives at this level have
staff specifically charged with handling letters addressed to them personally.
Letters generically addressed to "customer service" are handled
generically.
KEEP IT SHORT AND
POLITE
Long
missives that start at the dawn of deregulation aren't a good approach. Consider
your complaint letter a memo to your own CEO: Keep it as short as possible. Be
firm, but be polite. Get to the point and don't clutter your letter with small
indignities or frivolous complaints. Don't go for revenge. It isn't worth
it--and, anyway, you won't get it.
USE YOUR CLOUT
Don't bludgeon the airline or
hotel with your clout, but don't run away from it, either. If you are a
high-level frequent traveler, put your account number and status on the letter.
If the complaint is so serious that you're thinking of moving your business
elsewhere, say so. If you can impact your company's travel policy and sway
business away from the airline or hotel, say so. But don't bluff. Only threaten
what you are actually prepared to do.
ASK FOR
SOMETHING
The
biggest mistake most complaint letters make is not asking specifically for
compensation. Writing a letter of complaint without asking for something
is guaranteed to generate little more than a form letter and a form apology.
Tell the airline, hotel or car-rental firm exactly what is required to
make amends.
BE REASONABLE
Have a sense of proportion. A
one-hour delay doesn't entitle you to a refund. A rude employee isn't grounds
for a free hotel night. The punishment, so to speak, should fit the crime.
Asking for hard cash is always dicey, although, sometimes, a refund is the only
fair resolution. However, if you'd be happy with bonus miles or points, room or
flight upgrades, or discount coupons, ask for them. If you're a truly frequent
traveler, immediate elevation to the next level of elite status might be the
best compensation of all.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
With the exception of
denied-boarding and lost-luggage compensation, which are governed by federal or
international regulations, the airlines are generally masters of their domains.
Those so-called "Customer First" initiatives that the airlines adopted with much
fanfare a couple of years ago have no power of law, but you'll have a
better case if the airline violated its own published standards.
USE YOUR BIG PLASTIC
STICK
I assume you
know that you should never pay cash for travel services. That's because
you do have legal recourse if you charge your travel purchase to a credit card.
Under federal fair-credit laws, you have the right to contest any charge you do
not consider legitimate. That includes a travel purchase gone awry. If you're in
a row with an airline, hotel or car-rental company over a service they didn't
provide, immediately contest the charge with your credit-card company.
DON'T GIVE UP
If the airline or hotel's
first response is insufficient, don't give up. Tell whomever responded to your
letter that you aren't satisfied. (By the way, don't return any coupons,
discounts or checks they sent.) You'll be surprised how often a second letter
yields a better offer. And remember: Be reasonable. This isn't about revenge,
it's about fair and adequate compensation.
GO EASY ON
SECURITY
Don't
bother complaining to an airline about security-related snafus at the airport.
Airlines are now officially out of the loop--and don't think they ain't thrilled
about that! Airport security is now a federal function. And while I'm not so
jaded as to think that you can never fight city hall, I wouldn't try it right
now. The folks at the Transportation Security Administration, which was created
in our communal panic after September 11, are lucky if they can find their own
desks at the moment. No matter how annoying the problem, I say give them a
couple of more months to get their acts together.
Got a comment or a
question? Send me an E-mail or call me
toll free at 877-510-1746.
JOHNNY JET RECOMMENDS TO COPY YOUR
LETTER TO:
The Department of Transportation, Aviation Consumer Protection
Division
400 7th Street SW, Room 4107
Washington, DC 20590
AND
The Aviation
Consumer Action Project
P.O. Box 19029
529 14th Street NW, Suite 1265
Washington, DC 20045
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