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United Airlines Complaints

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Contact Information

Mailing Address:

United Airlines, Inc.
233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois, United States 60606

Phone:

1-800-UNITED-1
1-800-864-8331

Complaints to United Airlines: Contact Customer Support, Phone, Email

Complaints to United Airlines: Contact Customer Support, Phone, Email

Joanna Teljeur
Written By Joanna Teljeur
Last Updated: December 11, 2024

In 2023, United Airlines received approximately 6 passenger complaints for every 100,000 people according to Statista, and they scored a 77 out of a 100 on their customer satisfaction score. To better understand these numbers, Frontier had roughly 20 complaints for every 100,000, and Alaska Airlines had the highest customer satisfaction rating with a score of 81.

Disrupted flight?You might have a right to compensation - up to €600Check Your Flight

United Airlines Contact Info

Beyond checking to see the status of your United Airlines flight, you might need to contact them to file a complaint for delays, canceled flights, or baggage mishandling

Anytime you have issues with an airline, you should always try to address the problem as soon as it happens, and ideally while you’re still at the airport. Understandably, this might not always be possible, in which case you’ll need to contact United in other ways to lodge a complaint. If you want to file a United compensation claim, you’ll have to do so in writing, but more on that later.

an United Airlines plane at the airport

United Airlines Customer Service

Calling United usually involves waiting for some time on hold until you can speak to a live person. So, if you want to avoid the hassle of phoning the airline, you can try to reach them through other means.

If you want to avoid the trouble of filing a compensation claim on your own, you can let the experts at AIrAdvisor handle the claims process for you!

Contacting United Airlines By Phone

Toll Free Number for United 

English: 1 (800) 864-8331 (Available 24/7) This number serves as the primary contact line for inquiries and it gives passengers a free option for speaking with United Airlines’ customer service. 

1-855-820-3610 Help with reservations

1-800-335-2247 Baggage Issues (Toll free in the U.S. and Canada)

1-281-821-3526 Baggage issues for other regions

1-800-228-2744 If you have issues with accessibility, you can call toll free

1-800-490-2021 Receipts

1-800-323-0170 For those who are deaf or hearing impaired

1-800-780-0235 MileagePlus members can call

tip

This page has contact information in regions outside the U.S. and Canada.

Tips for Contacting United Airlines Customer Service

Before you call or write to the airline, be sure to gather all relevant information so you can provide the necessary information.

  1. The names of all the passengers on your booking
  2. Your home address if you live in the U.S. 
  3. Email
  4. Receipts
  5. Boarding pass and ticket numbers
  6. Travel Dates
  7. Your arrival and departure cities
  8. Reason for your complaint

Sending Complaints by email to United Airlines

On their website, United states that:

quotes

We will acknowledge written complaints within 30 days of receipt and we will send a substantive written response within 60 days of receiving your written complaint.

For complaints, start by visiting the United Airlines Customer Care page. You’ll find a variety of options that address various passenger concerns from ticketing questions to refund info and general customer care.

United Airlines Customer Help page

If you know that you want to submit a complaint to United for a flight disruption, then sending it via email is probably your best option. In most cases, you will need to send the airline a complaint in writing along with information and documentation supporting your claim. 

United Airlines’ email address is: customercare@united.com.

Additional United Services and Channels 

Physical Address

warning

United Airlines, Inc.
233 South Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
USA

Live chat option from United

You can find a live chat on the United site.

Contact United Airlines via social media

You can almost always get in touch with an airline representative by going to United’s social media channels. You might not get the right person for your issues immediately, but they can put you in touch with the right people.

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

What to do if United’s customer service doesn't respond?

Most airlines are flooded with complaints and compensation claims, and United is no exception. Because of this, they might take a very long time to respond, or they might not do so at all.

If this happens to you, remember that AirAdvisor can take the necessary steps to get compensation for you. This means we will submit your compensation form and provide all the relevant details about your flight disturbance, and then follow up with the airline, even if that means taking them to court.

United Airlines passengers waiting

Step-by-step instructions for a complaint with UnitedAirlines

For a successful claim, you’ll need to submit as much detailed documentation as possible including the following:

  1. Personal information: Your full name, contact information, and address. Make sure this information matches what you provided when you purchased your ticket(s).
  2. Flight details: Add the details of your flight disruptions, including the flight number, date, as well as departure and arrival airport.
  3. Type of interruption: Describe what happened - whether you had a delay, cancellation, denied boarding, or a missed connection.
  4. Details about your flight disruption: If your flight was delayed or canceled, provide the scheduled departure/arrival times as well as the actual departure/arrival time. If your flight was canceled, then  include the reason given to you by airline staff.
  5. Information on denied boarding: If you were denied boarding, say whether it was a voluntary or involuntary denial and indicate the reason given to you by the airline.
  6. Additional costs: If you incurred expenses as a result of the delay, include this information as well, along with any receipts. This is important because you may be able to get reimbursed for these.

United Airlines Compensation Forms

How can I file a complaint with United?

The compensation form is a very important document that you need in order to apply for compensation from the airline. It’s used to collect all your flight and personal information in order to process your claim.

As you might imagine, United isn’t going to help you lodge a complaint against them. So, to help you write the most effective letter/email possible, we’ve created the following templates.

You can also find out how much you could get in compensation by using our compensation calculator. Just enter a few details about your flight with United Airlines as well as some basic details about yourself. If you are eligible for compensation or a  refund, we can assist you with the application.

File a complaint with AirAdvisor

You can make sure your compensation claim is successful and avoid unnecessary worry and frustration by letting our team of legal professionals handle your claim for you. Why? Well, we’ve been defending air passengers rights since 2017, and we win 98% of the cases we represent. Not only that, but we can do this for you risk free because we operate on a No-win, No-fee basis and our success fees are on average 5% lower than our competitors. Get started today by entering your flight details below!

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Common Questions: United Airlines Complaints

How much compensation can you get from United Airlines?

The amount you get for flight disruptions from United depends on where you’re traveling. The EU, UK, and Canada each have passenger rights regulations that require airlines to pay varying amounts for delays, cancellations, and denied boarding.

What do you do if you’re unhappy with the response you get from United Airlines?

If you’re unsatisfied with their response to you, you can lodge an official complaint with them about their overall service. You can also report your experience with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Can you sue United Airlines?

While it’s possible to sue United Airlines, the decision to do so depends on the specific circumstances and legal advice should be sought in such cases.

How long does United Airlines take to respond to complaints?

Usually anywhere between a few days to a month.

Is it worth complaining to United Airlines?

Whether it is worth complaining to United Airlines depends on the nature of your issue and your desired resolution; it’s recommended to express your concerns and seek an appropriate resolution.

How much does United Airlines charge for special assistance?

United Airlines offers some special assistance free of charge (an additional fee may apply depending on the type and extent of assistance required).

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Complaints

Marina Reskovich

No reason given

Jan 18, 2025
I tried to click on "yes I've contacted" but then I couldn't continue to the next part of the application, unless I uploaded a photo of the fact that they offered me a voucher or asked me to sign something - which they did not. They simply said they would not be compensating me because it was not part of the policy, or something in those words.
Natalie Perez

Jan 12, 2025
Due to thunderstorms we missed our connecting flight from ORD to DUB. We were told that we had been rebooked on the next flight the following morning. We had to pay out of pocket for our hotel at the airport for the extra night. Also due to the delay I had to pay extra for another day of dog minding and because we arrived a day late than expected the dog sitter could not bring our dog back on Sunday so I had to pay for a pet taxi to collect him and bring back to Dublin. The next day we went back to aer Lingus to check in. We were told they see us on the flight but a ticket wasn’t issued and that we needed to speak with United instead. They sent us to the United desk in terminal 1. United then said, we had a ticket and that aerlingus should see that and let us on the flight. We went back and forth between United ticket desk and aerlingus ticket desk and we psychically had to do this in ORD 4 times. Neither airline would help us until finally a United agent told us to go back to aerlingus and see if they will let us on the flight. United said if we weren’t allowed on the aer Lingus flight then if we made it back to the United terminal by 5pm they could get us on another flight from Chicago to Washington to Dublin. In the end we took the Washington flight and made it back to Dublin on Monday dec 30th at 10am. We were supposed to be back Sunday dec 29th at 9am. Our bags did not arrive until Jan 3rd almost a week late. I had to ring United to look for them as they were sitting in ORD for days. The travel was extremely daunting and unpleasant. I purchased the tickets on aerlingus website and no agents with Aer Lingus would help with the situation or try to escalate the problem to a supervisor. The agents told us to call customer service but due to our Irish mobile we could not call internationally. WiFi was not very good. We were stuck as a messenger between airlines. Please reimburse to us the extra expense we paid out of pocket for something out of our control.
Scott Yanak

Weather conditions

Jan 6, 2025
The airline claimed that it was due to inclement weather conditions in Newark; however, there were many other flights departing and arriving in Newark at that time. Because they cancelled my flight on the 27th, they rescheduled me a whole day later through Washington D.C. I arrived in Pittsburgh a whole day later and missed an important family event.
Kathleen Mccready

claim couldn't reschedule for 2 days to IAH then 1 extra day

Dec 30, 2025
im 62. arrived in SanFran 1st time @ about 7am missed connection to IAH due to customs rescheduled - told wait 48 hours for next available flight to IAH - UA BLAMED customs - finally a different employee of UA changed me to COPA AIRLINES FLY TO DESTINATIION - Medellin-Jose via Panama wait in Sanfran airport at my expense until about 12 at night = 17 hours - COPA said UA had not properly transferred & I would have to pay for my luggage weight - but then decided to get back to United and did not charge me - I discovered during v. long wait time in customs queue while missing my connection and extending my trip by almost another day that is a common problem - thus UA knew they sold me flights they knew had a v. low chance of occurring - especially since the UA WERE SET UP ALREADY TO RESCEDULE FLIGHTS + UA PREVENTED ME FROM FILLING OUT A COMPLAINT FORM BY SENDING ME IN CIRCLES ON THEIR SITE.
Preferred solution: Apology / Voucher
Loss: 300 EUR
Deborah Crannell

Changing the time of departure without prompt notification i

Dec 29, 2025
Flight 1 of 1 UA3676 MilelagePlus SCV36451 Flight Operated by REPUBLIC AIRWAYS DBA UNITED EXPRESS. December 20, 2024 Frankfurt to Newark Departs 5:15 PM UA 075 December 21, 2024 Newark to Columbus Departs !0:58. UA 3600 Dear United: I am writing in regard to the horrible trip on December 20, 2024. My daughter wanted to treat us to business class to Germany for the Christmas Marts. We flew over with Air France with no trouble but when it was time to return on United from Frankfort, the time of departure was changed with no notice to us or to my daughter, Sarah Rich. This is important because with the change to a departure early in the day, we could skip staying overnight in Newark at a cost of $200 and we would have had time to reschedule to Columbus Ohio later on the 20th. When we reached the Frankfurt Airport, the person working checking said she couldn’t help make new reservations and we would need to call United Customer Service. Jim had called the night before and the agent said he would get back to him but never did. My husband is handicapped and needs a wheelchair for long distances. Jim had to stand in the Frankfurt Service area WHERE NO SEATS were provided to try to get help. We decided to give up and went to the waiting area in the airport to wait for a wheelchair per the desk agents. After an hour, I went back to the desk and received no help with the wheelchair. As we waited, a mouse was bouncing around the seats. My husband made the decision to try to walk to the gate in order to get there in time. We missed the use of the United Lounge which would have been helped with my husband’s disability. When we entered the plane, the staff was polite and helpful. I expected a calm, quiet and comfortable flight. What the passengers in Business Class were in, was a fourth-grade classroom. A large family with children were rarely in their seats as well as talking loudly. They ignored the staff’s polite requests and continued their misbehavior. I am not anti-child; if a baby was crying, I would shrug it off. I appreciate the staff’s efforts, but I believe the Flight Crew should have been called in to help settle these people down. Changing the time of departure without prompt notification is inexcusable. The ability to change flights is awkward, difficult, and in our case, unsuccessful. At every airport, my husband received a wheelchair at check in but not at Frankfurt. And yes, I hold United responsible for making sure Business Class is quiet. I feel strongly that we deserve a refund.
Preferred solution: Compensation
Loss: USD 200 EUR
Alice Lee

Dec 16, 2024
Airline provided the hotel stay and food voucher. And finally $150 airline credit but rejected any further compensation. Boarding time deadline was 11:45am for 12pm departure. Arrived 11:40am at gate but was denied boarding citing gate was closed, while lots of passengers are still right in front of me waiting for the bus. The reason is very likely it is 1/1 and ground staff wanted to go home earlier. Airline offered rebooking for next day flight and hotel stay. Missed one day work on 1/2 and the original flight shall arrive destination on 1/1. Missed one day wage.

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