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A Consumer Guide to Air Travel - part 4 - ContactsContacting the Department of TransportationIf you need assistance or want to put your complaint about an airline on record with DOT, call the Office of Consumer Affairs at (202) 366-2220 or write:Office of Consumer Affairs, I-25
If you write, please be sure to include your address and a daytime telephone number, with area code. We can provide information about what rights you may or may not have under Federal laws. If your complaint was not properly handled by the airline, we will contact them and get back to you. Letters from consumers help us spot problem areas and trends in the airline industry. We use our complaint files to document the need for changes in DOT's consumer protection regulations and, where warranted, as the basis for enforcement action. In addition, every month we publish a report with information about the number of complaints we receive about each airline and what problems people are having. You can write or call us for a free single copy of this Air Travel Consumer Report, which also has statistics that the airlines file with us on flight delays, oversales and mishandled baggage. If your complaint is about something you feel is a safety or security hazard, write to the Federal Aviation Administration: Community and Consumer Liaison
Local consumer help programsIn most communities there are consumer help groups that try to mediate complaints about businesses, including airlines and travel agencies.Most state governments have a special office that investigates consumer problems and complaints. Sometimes it is a separate division in the governor's or state attorney general's office. Check your telephone book under the state government's listing. Many cities and counties have consumer affairs departments that handle complaints. Often you can register your complaint and get information over the phone or in person. A number of newspapers and radio or TV stations operate Hot Lines or Action Lines where individual consumers can get help. Consumer reporters, with the help of volunteers, try to mediate complaints and may report the results as a news item. The possible publicity encourages companies to take fast action on consumer problems when they are referred by the media. Some Action Lines, however, may not be able to handle every complaint they receive. They often select the most severe problems or those that are most representative of the kinds of complaints they receive. Your last resortIf nothing else works, small claims court might be the best way for you to help yourself. Many cities have these courts to settle disputes involving relatively small amounts of money and to reduce the red tape and expense that people generally fear when they sue someone. An airline can generally be sued in small claims court in any jurisdiction where it operates flights or does business. You can usually get the details of how to use the small claims court in your community by contacting your city or county office of consumer affairs, or the clerk of the court. As a rule, small claims court costs are low, you don't need a lawyer, and the procedures are much less formal and intimidating than they are in most other types of courts. |
