When Good Airlines Do Bad Things*
or
Airlines Behaving Badly *
or
I'll Give You Something to Complain About*
 

So the airline representative responded to your complaint with all the verve, empathy, and interest of a Madame Tussaud wax figure. 
 

Still needing an outlet to vent, you turn to anyone who will listen. Not surprisingly, you become the pariah of the cocktail party circuit—guests disperse, fearful you’ll recount your most recent airline trip and subsequent mishaps. No one dare ask you, “How was your trip?”
 

It’s time someone listened to your whining airline complaints with purpose and intent; and that someone is Uncle Sam.
 

The pen (make that email) is mightier than the whimper. For airline-related issues such as cancelled or delayed flights, on-time baggage delivery, and ticket refunds, comments can be directed to the Department of Transportation (DOT) Aviation Consumer Protection Division.
 

Each month the DOT publishes statistics based on consumer feedback and airline performance, ranking airlines from best to worst—a list the airlines are beginning to take seriously.
 

View the Air Travel Consumer Report by year for specific airline rankings.

*Sometimes there are just too many good heading options and I feel the need to not waste a one. I tend to believe more really is more.