General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Formal letter to airline regarding lost luggage

You lost a piece of luggage during a recent flight.

Write a letter to the airline's customer service. In your letter:

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear Sir or Madam,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am contacting you to report that my checked suitcase failed to arrive at the carousel following my flight, BA247, from London Heathrow to Dubai on 14 October. Despite waiting until the final bags were unloaded, my luggage was nowhere to be found.

The missing item is a large, charcoal-grey Samsonite hard-shell suitcase with a distinctive neon-orange luggage tag attached to the handle. It contains several items of professional attire, including two tailored suits, as well as a collection of personal toiletries and a pair of leather dress shoes. The total value of these contents is significant.

Could you please clarify the procedure for tracking misplaced items and provide an update on the current status of my bag? I would appreciate it if you could confirm whether it has been located at the departure airport or if it was mistakenly loaded onto a different aircraft. Furthermore, please advise on the compensation process should the airline be unable to retrieve my belongings within the next forty-eight hours.

I look forward to your prompt response regarding this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

184 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a consistently professional tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to ask about the specific steps the airline will take to locate the bag, instead focusing solely on expressing anger or demanding a refund.

Useful phrases from the letter

carousel
The moving belt where luggage is collected after flights
checked
Luggage placed in the cargo hold of an aircraft
distinctive
Having a special quality that makes something easily recognizable
tailored
Clothing made or altered to fit a person precisely
misplaced
Put in the wrong place or temporarily lost
prompt
Done without delay and performed in a timely manner

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?

This letter achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with specific, relevant details while maintaining a consistently professional tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to ask about the specific steps the airline will take to locate the bag, instead focusing solely on expressing anger or demanding a refund.

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