If you wish to send a letter of complaint to United Airlines and have it registered in our database, please click here.

For more information about alternatives and likely outcomes, here is a list of suggestions:

• listen to Todd Curtis' How to Make a Successful Air Travel Complaint podcast from the AirSafe site.
• consult the information available from the Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the US Department of Transportation.
• Consider escalation to a Small Claims court filing if your complaint involves a demonstrable financial loss for which the airline is responsible (e.g. ticket refund problems, lost baggage, involuntary bumping). In general, it's good practice to advise UAL in writing of your intent to pursue this course of action if your demands are not met in a timely manner. The Montreal Convention, which establishes the rules relating to the international carriage of passengers, baggage and cargo, explicitly requires that you make a written complaint to the airline within 7 days in the case of damage to checked baggage, and 21 days in the case of delayed baggage. In the case of domestic flights and damage to baggage, airline carriage conditions apply, which stipulate that the passenger must first report any damage to luggage within 4-6 or 24 hours, depending on the circumstances.
• Visit the Sue the Airlines site for additional background information and advice concerning legal action.
• Read the background material from the Air Traveler's Handbook FAQ by Mark Kantrowitz.
• Consult some of the "How To" books available from Amazon.com.
• Ask yourself objectively whether or not your complaint is frivolous. Reading through the many letters posted to the rec.travel.air newsgroup, you will find the occasional complaint dealing with:
  • flight cancellations due to bad weather
  • temporarily lost luggage
  • unavailability of desired meal selection
  If your complaint falls into one of those categories, the airline is not likely to respond to it seriously. Also, keep in mind that despite the general decline in United's service record over the last few years, the employees there are human, and can only accomplish so much in response to difficult situations. However, you should not accept this excuse for rude treatment or excessive incompetence, among many other things...
• If your complaint is serious, send it in writing to the attention of United Airlines Customer Relations. Be specific as to what you expect United to do, and give them a reasonable deadline to reply. You might want to take a look at some of the success stories of other passengers.
• Make your letter brief, coherent, and to the point. If you can't get the facts down in two pages, the letter is probably too long. Although it won't make for a good travel story, the fill-in form provided here will help you focus on the points that are directly relevant to the airline.
• The Aviation Consumer Protection Division (ACPD) of the U.S. Department of Transportation operates a complaint handling system for consumers who experience air travel service problems. Consumers with concerns about airline safety or security should call the Federal Aviation Administration toll-free at 1-800-322-7873.
• Submit a copy of your complaint letter here and let us know if you receive a reply from United. This website maintains a large database of complaints that may be relevant to your situation. Let United Airlines know that you have sent a copy to the "Untied Airlines" web site. While you can be sure they don't like it, United spends a lot of time looking through these pages, so posting it here might end up doing some good.
• There are several additional organizations to which you can send your letter as well. It may be advantageous to inform United of your intention to forward a copy of your letter to these organizations if you do not receive a reply to your satisfaction.
  • Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75
    U.S. Department of Transportation
    1200 New Jersey Ave, S.E.
    Washington, D.C. 20590
    Tel: (202) 366-2220

  • Better Business Bureau
    330 N. Wabash Ave.
    Chicago IL 60611
    Phone: (900) 225-5222
    Fax: (312) 580-7849

  • Federal Aviation Administration
    800 Independence Avenue, S.W.
    Washington, D.C. 20591
    Tel: 1-800-322-7873 (1-800-FAA-SURE)

  • Your travel agent
  • The travel section of local newspaper
  • Local governmental representatives

• Finally, you can also post your letter (a brief synopsis is preferable) to the rec.travel.air newsgroup. Be forewarned that the readership of this newsgroup has seen a lot of gripes, so expect to receive snide e-mail or see follow-up posts critical of your complaint.

Other sites of relevance:

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