How to File a Formal Complaint Against an Airline with the U.S. DOT

Travelers should contact the airline in writing before asking the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to review a service complaint. The airline generally gets 30 days to respond before the passenger escalates the matter.

Start with the airline. Describe the flight number, travel date, route, employees involved, promised service, what happened instead, and the total cost or harm. Attach receipts, gate tags, damage photos, and any damage reports that support the account.

Keep the complaint factual and chronological. Explain what went wrong, when it happened, and how the airline responded. Ask for a specific remedy, such as a repair, refund, compensation, or written correction to the airline’s policy.

The written airline complaint creates a record. That record becomes the foundation for a DOT filing if the carrier does not resolve the dispute.

The DOT portal takes non-security service complaints

After the airline has had time to respond, use the DOT’s complaint process to submit the Air Travel Service Complaint or Comment Form. The form is intended for non-security issues, including delays, baggage problems, and denied refunds.

The DOT portal is not the only contact method. Passengers can reach Aviation Consumer Protection at 800-778-4838 or 202-366-2220. They can also email airconsumer2@dot.gov.

The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection receives these complaints. It uses them to identify patterns, investigate problems, and bring cases against airlines or ticket agents.

That role has limits. The department does not act as a court or directly award money to an individual passenger. Someone seeking monetary damages may need to pursue a consumer-court case or consult a lawyer after the agency process.

Build the complaint around evidence

A strong submission should let an investigator follow the dispute without guessing. Include:

• The flight number, date, route, and specific costs.
• A plain-language chronology of the promise, the failure, and the airline’s response.
• Receipts, photos of damaged equipment, gate tags, damage reports, and transcripts of calls with their dates and times.
• The result you want, whether that is a refund, repair, compensation, or a written policy correction.

Phone conversations can still help, but write down the time, date, and substance of each call. Preserve messages and receipts rather than relying on memory.

Disability complaints follow a separate route

Passengers dealing with wheelchair damage, denied assistance, or another disability-related issue should ask for a Complaints Resolution Official, known as a CRO, before leaving the airport. The airline must make that official available in person or by phone when the problem occurs.

A disability-related civil rights complaint goes to the Departmental Office of Civil Rights, or DOCR, through the Public Complaint Form. Language assistance and disability-related help are available through usdot.civilrights@dot.gov.

The airport response should come first. Asking for the CRO creates an opportunity to address the problem while airline staff and relevant records remain on site.

A passenger can still document the incident afterward. Record the location, staff involved, assistance requested, and harm caused, then preserve any photographs, reports, receipts, or communications tied to the event.

What happens after submission

The agency reviews complaints as part of its consumer-protection and enforcement work. Patterns across complaints can help it investigate airlines or ticket agents and identify areas of concern.

The process is not a substitute for a damages lawsuit. Passengers who want money beyond the airline’s voluntary resolution should consider whether consumer court or legal advice is appropriate after filing with the DOT.

Begin with the written airline complaint, state the remedy you want, and keep every supporting record together. That file will make the next step clearer if the carrier does not resolve the matter.