Recently I took a redeye from California to New York. I paid a bit more for extra leg room in the hope that it would help me sleep. But when I boarded the flight, I discovered a metal box–part of the plane–taking up some of the space under the seat in front of me. The airline did not disclose to me that I wouldn’t receive the full benefit of the bargain of the extra leg room I had paid for. Had I known, I would have selected a different seat. After the plane landed, I complained to the airline that its conduct had been unfair and deceptive. I got back an unsatisfactory response. I then filed a similar complaint with the federal Department of Transportation. DOT forwarded my complaint to the airline, which offered me a $25 travel credit. It’s interesting that the airline didn’t offer me that until I complained to DOT. Personally, I think it would be better if going forward, the airline disclosed at the time of purchase that passengers wouldn’t receive the full amount of leg room they were expecting. I would be curious to hear the thinking that results in the airline providing a partial refund only when the consumer complains to the government. But it does reinforce the notion that government agencies should have a complaint-receiving function for the entities they regulate.
