How to Complain to the Airlines: Effective Ways to Get Ahead

Air travel isn't always fun. Things go wrong. And while you're unlikely to get compensated because a summer thunderstorm made your plane late, it's often worth complaining to the airlines and seeing what you can get for your travel inconveniences.

According to the U.S. government, during the months of January-March 2010 Delta was the most complained-about airline, with 2.15 complaints per 100,000 trips taken. US Airways was close behind with 1.85. The least-complained-about airline, by far, was Southwest, with only 0.32 complaints per 100,000 trips.

I spoke to airline representatives and travel experts to find the best ways to make your complaint. Feel free to add your own complaint experiences in the comments at the end of this story.

Take notes when anything goes wrong. Photos help, too. If something goes wrong for you, turn into a reporter. Note down times and write down the names of staff members. (The names are very important, and folks should be wearing nametags.) Take photos of anything visually useful -- a broken armrest, for instance.

Try to resolve the problem on the spot. Business travel expert Joe Brancatelli of Joe Sent Me (www.joesentme.com) says the best complaint letter is one you never had to write. If something goes wrong, do whatever you can to solve the problem on the spot, including finding that elusive "supervisor." If you used a travel agency, call them and loop them in on the problem; after all, they're supposed to be your advocate. Keep your calm, though. Remember you can always write a letter afterwards.

Write a good complaint. The number-one thing airlines are looking for in a complaint is data, according to JetBlue spokeswoman Jenny Dervin. They want to know what flight number you were on, what day, what time, and exactly what happened.

The trick is to write this into a reasonable, cordial complaint without sounding like a crazy person. If you are angrily banging on the keyboard, you will write a bad complaint. If your letter is more than a few paragraphs, it is a bad complaint. If it has an exclamation point anywhere in it, it is automatically a bad complaint.

A good complaint should have proper grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization. You should start by spelling out exactly what went wrong where, in no more than two paragraphs. If you are a particularly frequent or loyal traveler, mention your status.

In the third paragraph, ask for what you want: a refund? A new ticket? Tell them if you don't hear from them by the amount of time listed in their customer commitment, you will complain to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Better Business Bureau. Above all, be calm and cordial.

Make sure to attach documentation, if you have it -- photos or copies/scans of documents.

Be reasonable in what you demand. You're unlikely to get free first-class transatlantic tickets for a broken armrest. And threats like "I will never fly your airline again" are unlikely to result in help; why should an airline care about someone who will never fly them again?

Start with official channels. It's a good idea to start by sending an e-mail through the airline's official web page. Each airline, in their "customer commitment," pledges to answer e-mails in a set amount of time as set forth below

• AirTran says they will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, and respond within 60.
• American Airlines says they will respond to customer complaints within 60 days.
• Continental Airlines says they will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, and respond within 60.
• Delta Air Lines says they will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, and respond within 60.
• JetBlue pledges to respond to emails within seven days, and paper letters within two weeks.
• Spirit Airlines says they will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, and respond within 60.
• Southwest Airlines says they'll respond to complaints within 5 days.
• United Airlines pledges to respond to your inquiry within five business days.
• US Airways is another good one; they say they'll get back to you in 5-7 days.