Guide
The airport employee who can actually help you: meet the CRO
Something goes wrong at the airport — your wheelchair is damaged, boarding assistance never shows, an agent says your battery can't fly — and the person at the desk shrugs. Here's the sentence that changes the conversation: "I'd like to speak with your Complaint Resolution Official."
The CRO is a federal requirement, not a courtesy. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, every US airline (and foreign airlines flying to the US) must have a CRO available at every airport they serve, during all operating hours, in person or by phone. The CRO has actual authority over disability accommodations: they can override gate decisions, order a written damage report, and commit the airline to a remedy on the spot.
Gate agents often don't know the title, so be precise and patient: ask by the exact words "Complaint Resolution Official," and if the first employee doesn't know, ask a supervisor. Airlines are required to connect you.
Use the CRO for anything disability-related that's going sideways: denied or delayed boarding assistance, wheelchair or scooter damage, battery paperwork disputes, seating reassignments that break up you and your aide, service animal issues. Whatever they decide, get it in writing — a CRO's written statement is gold in a DOT complaint.
One more thing the airline won't volunteer: talking to the CRO does not replace filing with the Department of Transportation. The CRO fixes tonight's problem; the DOT complaint is what shows up in the airline's public record and drives fines. Do both.