What should I do if I have a complaint about an airline?

Submitting a complaint about an airline

If you have a complaint about an airline, there are several steps you can take:

• Step 1: contact the airline and try to find a solution together.
• Step 2: submit a written complaint to the airline. There is a sample letter in English you can use.
• Step 3: submit a complaint to the authorised body. This is usually the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT). The ILT is authorised to deal with all matters relating to flights departing from the Netherlands, and flights operated by EU airlines travelling to the Netherlands from outside the EU. You should use the complaints form on the ILT's website to submit a complaint.
• Step 4: If you do not reach a settlement with the airline, you can take your case to court. You can do this before or after you have submitted your complaint to the inspectorate. For more information on how to take your case to court (in Dutch), see www.rechtspraak.nl.

Complaints about inadequate facilities for people with impaired mobility

People with impaired mobility can encounter a variety of problems while travelling, including:

• inadequate facilities;
• untrained staff;
• refusal of admittance;
• damage to medical devices.

In you encounter problems like these, you can contact the organisation responsible for taking care of passengers at the airport. You can also contact your tour operator or airline, depending on where the incident occurred. There is a standard form for submitting complaints about facilities for people with impaired mobility.

If you are unable to reach a settlement, you can submit a complaint to the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), which deals with and decides on all complaints. The ILT can also take steps if airlines do not comply with the rules.