How to file a DOT complaint against an airline (5 minutes, and airlines must answer in 60 days)
The Department of Transportation complaint is the fastest free lever against an airline that won't refund, pay bumping compensation, or settle a baggage claim. What it does, what to write, what to attach, and what to do if the airline still says no.
- A DOT consumer complaint is free, takes 5 minutes online, and forces the airline to acknowledge within 30 days and answer in writing within 60 days, with a copy to DOT.
- DOT doesn't arbitrate your case, but airlines treat complaints as enforcement exposure: refunds and bumping compensation that were "impossible" tend to appear within weeks.
- Use it for refunds (canceled or changed flights, bag fees, extras), denied boarding compensation, baggage liability, disability and discrimination issues, and deceptive fees or advertising.
- Before filing: complain to the airline first and keep its answer (or the silence). Attach the emails.
- After filing, if the money still doesn't come: credit card chargeback for refunds, small claims court for compensation.
What a DOT complaint actually does
The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection logs your complaint, sends it to the airline, and requires a substantive written response to you and DOT. Complaints feed DOT's enforcement priorities and the monthly Air Travel Consumer Report that ranks airlines. Because DOT has fined airlines millions for refund violations since 2022, the customer relations teams that handle DOT complaints have more authority than regular customer service. That's why a complaint that went nowhere for months often gets paid in two weeks after DOT is involved.
It won't help with: general rudeness, seat comfort, or frequent flyer program disputes (those aren't regulated), or foreign flights that never touch the U.S.
Step by step
Complain to the airline first, in writing, through its refund or customer relations form. Give it the deadline the rule sets (7 business days for a card refund; same day for bumping compensation). Save the case number.
Go to secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint (link in Sources). Pick the topic: Refunds, Oversales, Baggage, Disability, Discrimination, Advertising/Fares, or Other.
Fill in the flight details (airline, flight number, date, route, ticket or confirmation number).
Write the complaint in 5–10 lines. Facts, dates, amounts, the rule, what you asked for, what the airline said. Example:
"Flight UA123 on March 4 from Denver to Newark was canceled by the airline. I declined the rebooking. I requested a refund of $412 through the airline's refund form on March 5 (case 1234567). On March 20 the airline offered only a travel credit. Under 14 CFR Part 260 I am entitled to a cash refund to my original form of payment within 7 business days. I request a full refund."
Attach (PDF or screenshots): booking confirmation, cancellation notice, your refund request, the airline's reply. Keep it under the upload limit; a single PDF is easiest.
Submit. You get a confirmation number by email. The airline has 30 days to acknowledge and 60 days to respond.
After you file
- Airlines usually respond by email within 2–6 weeks, often with the refund or a check. If the response repeats a refusal, reply to DOT's email with why it's wrong (cite the rule and your evidence). DOT reads follow-ups when it selects cases for enforcement.
- Refund still missing → file a chargeback with your card issuer ("services not rendered"), attaching the cancellation notice and the DOT complaint. Issuers side with passengers on canceled flights.
- Compensation still missing (bumping, baggage) → small claims court in your county. Filing costs $30–$75, no lawyer, and airlines often settle before the hearing. See small claims guide.
Other useful complaint channels
- Your state attorney general for deceptive practices by an online travel agency.
- CFPB if a card issuer refuses a legitimate chargeback.
- FAA for safety issues (not refunds).
- National enforcement bodies in Europe for EU261 claims: see EU compensation.
FAQ
Will DOT get my money back for me?
DOT doesn't order payment in individual cases, but the complaint triggers the airline's response duty and enforcement exposure. In practice it works most of the time for clear refund violations.
The airline is foreign (Lufthansa, Avianca, Air Canada)
Covered for flights to, from, or within the U.S. File the same way.
How long do I have to complain?
No deadline for the complaint itself, but the underlying claims have their own limits (chargebacks typically 60–120 days; small claims 2–6 years depending on the state). Don't wait.