DOT Complaint Proof: What to Attach

A DOT complaint with thorough evidence resolves 2 to 3x faster than a bare-narrative complaint. The DOT reviewer reads dozens of complaints per day; the airline response team addresses hundreds per month. A complete file tells the story without requiring follow-up questions. The DOT complaint evidence attach checklist is the difference between 30 days and 90 days.

1. 1

   Boarding pass (screenshot of app or paper scan).

2. 2

   Booking confirmation with reference number and payment.

3. 3

   Flight timeline: scheduled times and actual times from FlightAware or Flightradar24.

4. 4

   Airline notification emails about the delay, cancellation, or denial.

5. 5

   Prior complaint to airline with their response (or absence of response).

6. 6

   Your requested remedy in writing.

Different disruption types call for different evidence:

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  Cancellation: airline cancellation notice, refund request, and airline response. See alaska airlines DOT refund record.

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  Denied boarding: written denied boarding notice, cash vs voucher offer documentation, rebooking details.

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  Tarmac delay: flight tracking showing tarmac time, any food/water provision documentation.

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  Baggage: Property Irregularity Report, receipts for replacement items.

If you paid for meals, hotel, transport, or essential items during a disruption, keep receipts. The airline is generally liable for reasonable duty-of-care expenses, and the DOT reviewer will scrutinize the reasonableness. Typical reasonable amounts: hotel under $250/night, meals under $75/person/day, ground transport actual.

Attach receipts as PDFs, not photos. PDF preserves metadata (date, vendor) that the reviewer may check. Photos without timestamp metadata are weaker evidence.

The airline's response to your prior claim is one of the most important attachments. If they denied, attach the denial letter. If they offered a voucher, attach the voucher offer. If they did not respond, attach proof you contacted them (email with timestamp) and note the elapsed time.

For airline-specific handling patterns, see hawaiian airlines DOT refund record data and what to expect or southwest DOT refund record data and what to expect.

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  Passport photos or full IDs. The DOT does not need personal ID documents.

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  Credit card numbers. Payment reference OK, full card number never.

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  Emotional content (social media posts about your anger). Stick to facts.

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  Irrelevant flights. Scope to the specific incident.

A clean evidence file resolves complaints 2 to 3x faster. Check your flight and we assemble the evidence package automatically. For the broader filing walkthrough, see dot complaint process step by step and the denied boarding compensation guide.