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Complaints About Air Travel

Safety and Security Complaints

Consumers with concerns about airline safety should call the Federal Aviation Administration toll-free at 1-866-TELL-FAA (1-866-835-5322). For additional information, go to http://www.faa.gov/passengers/travel_problems/consumer_hotline/

Consumers with concerns about aviation security call the Transportation Security Administration toll-free at 1-866-289-9673, or e-mail that agency at TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov. For additional information, go to http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/customer/index.shtm

Airline Service Complaints

Complaints about airline service other than safety or security issues may be registered with DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD). You can call, write or use our web form.

  • You may call the ACPD 24 hours a day at 202-366-2220 (TTY 202-366-0511) to record your complaint. Calls are returned Monday through Friday, generally between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern time.
  • You may send us a letter at:
  • You can send us a complaint, comment or inquiry electronically by using our web form. This form allows us to capture information more accurately and process it more efficiently. Please click here to use our web form.
  • Whether you call, write or use the web form, please be brief and concise in the description of your problem and be sure to include the following information:

  • your name
  • address
  • daytime phone number (including area code) and e-mail address
  • name of the airline or company about which you are complaining
  • flight date
  • flight number if known
  • origin and destination cities of your trip.
  • If you send us a letter, you should also include a copy (not the original) of your airline ticket or itinerary sheet and any correspondence you have already exchanged with the company.

    All complaints are entered in DOT's computerized aviation industry monitoring system, and are charged to the company in question in the monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. This report is distributed to the industry and made available to the news media and the general public so that consumers and air travel companies can compare the complaint records of individual airlines and tour operators. These complaints are reviewed to determine the extent to which carriers are in compliance with federal aviation consumer protection regulations. This system also serves as a basis for rulemaking, legislation and research. Where appropriate, letters and web form submissions will be forwarded to an official at the airlinefor further consideration.

    Disability and Discrimination Complaints

    If your complaint concerns accessibility problems experienced by a passenger with a disability, or alleged discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion or ancestry, please click here for information on where to file your complaint. If you determine from that document that your complaint should be filed here with DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division, use the link in that page or your browser's "Back" button to return to this page. If you are filing an accessibility or discrimination complaint with us, we have optional complaint forms for these two types of complaints that you may download and/or print if you wish. Complaints of this type may be filed on the appropriate form, or by letter or e-mail. Click here for additional information about filing a complaint about accessibility problems with an airline that were experienced by a passenger with a disability. Click here for additional information about filing a complaint about alleged discrimination by airlines based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion or ancestry.

    The Department of Transportation produces an annual Report to Congress summarizing complaints that air carriers receive about disability-related issues. Click here to see this report.

    The ACPD publishes a number of booklets and fact sheets on air travel consumer protection issues.

    Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings
    U.S. Department of Transportation
    1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
    Washington, DC 20590
    http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov