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Complaint Repair
in the News
October
22, 2002
Got a travel gripe?
Air it online
Chicago Tribune; Chicago, Ill.; Oct 27, 2002; Darren M Green Special to
the Tribune;
(Copyright 2002 by
the Chicago Tribune)
Your flight was delayed, you missed your connection in Denver, the airline
customer service folks blamed it all on weather somewhere in northern
Canada, and to top it off, you missed your daughter's first birthday party.
Travel snafus sometimes take the place of death and taxes for the frequent
road warrior, but upon return, how does the seething traveler remedy the
ills that befell him on his unfortunate journey?
We've all lobbed dire threats in the general direction of the guilty airline/hotel/cruise
line--everything from promises to contact some unknown higher authority
to sharing the miserable experience with that ubiquitous travel attorney
we all seem to know. But who among us really has the time and energy to
do anything more than complain to a sympathetic spouse?
Times have recently changed, however, as those looking to air their travel
complaints and seek reimbursement for their troubles can now turn to the
Internet as the ultimate sounding board for all that ailed them while
traveling. The following Web sites offer a bevy of tools for the disgruntled
traveler to make things right in the world again.
www.planetfeedback.com
Don't just get mad at the hotel that lost your reservation--let 'em hear
about it. Finding the "right" contact person, documenting your
travails and firing off correspondence has never been easier, as you simply
type in the name of the offending company, click the complaint box and
the letter wizard seamlessly guides you toward the perfect complaint letter.
The human/Web site collaboration ultimately yields a well-crafted letter
that is instantaneously e- mailed to the CEO or customer service department
of the company at issue.
www.passengerrights.com
For those in a tremendous rush, this Web site offers a more basic complaint
letter form that can be completed and sent in under one minute. For those
who find they just can't muster an appropriate level of rage to properly
vent, check out the "How to Complain" section to learn from
the experts.
www.epinions.com
If you subscribe to the bark-at-the-wind rather than seek- remuneration
school of thought, Epinions is a wonderful forum to make your views known
to the world. Click on the Travel button on the left side of the home
page, and from there you can read and write opinions about everything
from tour operators to ski resorts.
www.Complaint Repair
This is a no-frills site, and the name pretty much says it all. Like Epinions,
this is more of a sounding board than a means to get what's coming to
you.
www.travelproblems.com
Here your complaint form is actually submitted to the Web site's staff,
who, for a flat fee of $30 ($55 plus a cut of the action for claims in
excess of $200), will see your complaint/claim all the way through to
fruition.
Department of Transportation The department's Office of Aviation Enforcement
and Proceedings represents that mysterious "higher authority"
we all promise to contact but never seem to find (the actual Web site
URL is airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/airconsumer/prob lems.htm). Here your complaints,
which can be submitted online, are logged in a report entitled the "Air
Travel Consumer Report.," This report is circulated each month within
the travel industry and to various news organizations.
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