by Greg Provance

I am not usually a supporter of complaining in general. In fact, I'm a quite staunch opponent, but if your voice must be heard regarding an injustice, there is a tactful way to go about it. Let's say your flight is delayed...for, say 23 hours, with no explaination and no attempt to rectify the problem. (Anyone get the idea that I have experienced this recently?) You just may feel the impulse to complain.
If you feel you would like compensation for the event and are not getting any love from the ticket counter, here is a course of action that I found to be quite effective:

1. Resist the urge to use anger! This will get you nowhere fast. In fact, if you think you are being nice, be even nicer. Staying calm, collected and pleasant is your only real shot at being heard.

2. Find someone who can really help you. Keep probing until you get the right person who is qualified to give you what you are asking for. Then, state your case briefly and suggest what you would like in return for your strife.

3. Make your request reasonable. A free ticket or credit toward future flight is reasonable. An open-ended, first class international round trip may be pushing it.

4. Resolve the matter quickly, on the spot if possible. If it is not possible to get the matter resoved right then and there, do not wait to to pursue the case. You will likely lose.

Had a similar experience that you were able to resolve peacefully? Please feel free to comment!