General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · complaint

Letter to Airline Complaining About Missed Flight

You missed a flight due to a problem at the airport.

Write a letter to the airline. In your letter:

describe what happened that caused you to miss the flight
explain how missing your flight affected you
make it clear what you would like the airline to do

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Customer Service Manager,

I am writing to formally complain regarding the circumstances that led to me missing flight BA249 from London Heathrow to New York on 14 October.

Upon arriving at the terminal three hours before departure, I proceeded to the automated bag-drop area. Unfortunately, the system suffered a prolonged technical failure, and the staff present were unable to process my luggage manually for over ninety minutes. By the time the issue was resolved and I reached the security checkpoint, the boarding gate had already closed, despite my timely arrival at the airport.

Missing this flight caused significant distress and financial loss. I was scheduled to present at an essential business conference the following morning, and my absence resulted in the cancellation of a vital contract. Furthermore, I was forced to purchase a new ticket at a premium last-minute rate and pay for an additional night of accommodation.

I request that you provide a full refund for the original ticket and compensation for the additional expenses I incurred due to your system failure. I have attached copies of my receipts and the conference schedule for your reference.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with specific, logical details while maintaining a consistently professional tone. A common Band 6 error is failing to explain the personal impact of the situation or using an overly aggressive, informal tone that is inappropriate for a formal complaint.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

prolonged: continuing for a long time beyond what is usual
checkpoint: a place where people are checked before entering
distress: extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain
vital: absolutely necessary or important
premium: an amount to be paid for a high price
incurred: become subject to something unwelcome as a result

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.

Practise IELTS General writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

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.