Speedy complaint service takes off
JETTING away on summer holiday is the highlight of the year for many people.
And for most of us it will be a pain-free, enjoyable experience.
But for an unfortunate few, glitches at the airport can be the start of a holiday nightmare.
Delayed and cancelled flights can cost you valuable holiday time and lost or damaged luggage is another big headache.
Perhaps there was a mix-up with your plane seats or you are downgraded because of overbooking.
With any of these situations you will want complain to the airline and possible demand compo.
Many airlines are now very good at handling customer complaints but some still fail to resolve the problem or agree t hat compensation is due. This used to mean you had to take your grievance to the Civil Aviation Authority or go to law.
But this has all changed with the Retail Ombudsman’s launch of Airline Dispute Resolution, authorised by the CAA to deal with such disputes.
The scheme is free to passengers and follows a similar procedure to complaints handled by the Retail Ombudsman. It should be a quick and efficient way to resolve a grievance about an airline, with cases reviewed on an impartial, fair and independent basis.
If you have cause to complain about an airline, here’s what to do.
Put your grievance in writing to the airline first, via its customer services department.
Make sure you provide all the necessary details, such as your flight number, date of travel and precise details of your complaint.
Give the airline up to eight w weeks to resolve your complaint.
If you do not receive a resolution that you are happy then pass on y your complaint to Airline Dispute Resolution by logging on to www.theretailombudsman.org.uk or calling 0203 540 8063.