We all love traveling. Going to new places, seeing new things, meeting new people. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. However, you know what’s not-so-great about traveling? Well, it’s the actual traveling. A big chunk of traveling is about the airline you’re using and if you’ve ever had to complain about airlines, you know it’s not easy. Forget easy. It’s downright unpleasant. It takes a while to reach the right representative, explain your problem, and then maybe you’d get your issue resolved.
Moreover, it’s no piece of cake on the other side. Companies get hundreds and hundreds of complaints, with everyone demanding theirs to be resolved first. It can get quite hectic and tough. Therefore, when there’s a complaint about airlines, it’s pretty clear that the situation’s not good on either side.
Therefore, think about the following things the next time you have an airline complaint.
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Know Your Rights
Even before you catch your flight or start traveling, you need to know your rights. In fact, we’d say this is something important for every part of life. However, it’s even more crucial when you’ve got a complaint against an airline.
When you know your rights and can quote them at the right time, there’s a better chance of getting your issue resolved. Some airlines have specific rules about delayed or canceled flights. Therefore, if you know that you’re entitled to some monetary compensation for a 6-hour delayed flight, you can get that money instead of just lodging an angry complaint.
If you know what to say and how to explain it, you will come off as more confident no matter who you speak with. Consequently, they are bound to take you more seriously and make sure they resolve your issue quickly.
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Keep Your Cool
We know mishaps at the airport or on the airplane can be extremely frustrating. Whether it’s a misplaced bag or the wrong travel class, there’s nothing more annoying. However, getting angry or annoyed won’t help you at all.
On the contrary, it’s important to keep yourself calm and collected. Only then will you be able to think your way through the problem and communicate your concerns effectively.
Moreover, the airline is more likely to listen to a relaxed and calm customer than one who’s cursing them out. Threats like ‘I’ll never use your airline again’ might only make them more indifferent to your complaint. However, a polite complaint could get you more attention and maybe even some travel vouchers.
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Reach Out to the Right People First
Sometimes, in your worry and frustration, you might want to just drag the airline’s CEO in front of you and demand an explanation. While that could work for some people, it’s not always possible. That’s why, if you want your complaint to get resolved quickly, you need to reach out to the right people first.
In case of a complain about airlines, usually, the best people to reach out to are the customer service representatives.
These people know all about the ins and outs of any problem you’re facing. Chances are, they’ve probably heard everything so no complaint is new for them, and they know how to resolve it.
Additionally, these customer services are usually available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Therefore, you can easily reach them at any time.
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Jot Down all the Details
When you’ve got a certain complaint or problem, the more information you can provide about that problem, the better it is. For instance, imagine you’ve lost your luggage. When you go and report this, the airline representative will want to know all kinds of details such as:
- The color of your luggage
- Any distinguishing feature
- Where did you last see it
- Who was the last person to handle it
Knowing these details will help them pinpoint where the problem might have started. Accordingly, they’ll be able to find your luggage faster without wasting any more time investigating. Therefore, any time you find yourself stuck in a situation, try to note down as many details as you can.
Related: Google Flights Guide: How to Find the Cheapest Flights
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Try to Solve it Right Then and There
Did you know there’s a golden hour during surgeries when the patient has the highest chances to survive? Or during police investigations, there is a critical hour which represents the highest chances of catching the culprit? Similarly, when you’ve got a complaint against an airline, time is of the essence.
The sooner you report it, the faster they can resolve it. If you procrastinate, chances are your complaint will get lost within the thousand other complaints from other customers.
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Write a Well-Written Complaint
A well-written complaint is itself a powerful tool. It will grab the airline’s attention and there are lesser chances of them simply dismissing it.
Now, a well-written complaint includes all the points we’ve mentioned until now. This means you need to be polite and cordial instead of angry. You need to address it to the right person. Most importantly, you need to include as many details as you can in the complaint.
All of this will help make your complaint and communication more powerful.
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Try to be Reasonable
Lastly, you have to try and be reasonable in your demands. Sometimes, it could be a fault on the airline’s part. However, if you show a little bit of understanding, you can end up forming a better relationship with them.
What’s more, sometimes things are beyond an airline’s control. If there’s a delayed flight due to bad weather, you can’t really complain about it, because it’s for your own safety and out of the airline’s hands.
Conclusion
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with complaining about airlines. Through these complaints, the airline can solve your issue as well as work on improving their operations and service. It’s a win-win situation.
Furthermore, with these pointers on the best way to complain about airlines, it’ll improve the chances your complaint will get through next time. Of course, there are other avenues as well.
There are complaint platforms that will make your airline complaint will get the attention it deserves. Don’t forget to mention that your complaint is posted online on such platform, they will certainly handle your complaint more quickly.
