You recently took a plane to a holiday in a foreign city, and on arrival you found that your luggage was lost. You did not receive your luggage until the last day of your holiday. Write to the airline. In your letter: Complaining about this situation Saying why it caused you problems Seeking suitable compensation

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Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the loss of my luggage during my recent
flight
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with your airline. On September 5th, I was on a
flight
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to London on
flight
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AR12345. When arrive at the airport, my luggage was not to be found. I did not receive my baggage until the final day of my holiday, which affected my holiday a lot.
This
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situation caused me significant inconvenience. Because all my clothes, personal items, and medicine were inside the missing luggage. I had spend much money and time shopping to buy replacements, these cause leading me to be unable to enjoy my holiday.
Therefore
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, I request a refund for my
flight
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ticket and the extra expenses. I have attached the receipts for my purchases to
this
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letter. I hope to receive a reply to
this
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matter. Yours faithfully, Tien

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task response
You cover all parts: the lost bag, the problems, and your request. Add more clear facts, such as the date your bag came back and the full cost of the things you had to buy.
task response
Your request is clear, but asking for all the flight money back may seem too much. Ask for payment for the items you bought and for the trouble caused.
task response
Use full sentences. For example: “All my clothes, personal items, and medicine were in the bag.”
coherence and cohesion
The letter has a clear start, middle, and end. Use linking words such as “As a result”, “Therefore”, and “In addition” to show how one idea leads to the next.
coherence and cohesion
Keep one main idea in each paragraph. Put the lost bag details in one paragraph, the problems in the next, and your request in the last.
coherence and cohesion
Check grammar so your ideas are easy to follow. Write “When I arrived” and “I spent”, not “When arrive” and “I had spend”.
task response
You clearly say that the bag came back only on the last day of your holiday, so the airline can understand the main problem.
task response
You give useful examples of what was in the bag, such as clothes, personal items, and medicine.
coherence and cohesion
Your greeting and closing are suitable for a formal letter.
coherence and cohesion
The letter is easy to follow because you use separate paragraphs for the problem, its effects, and your request.
Word Count

IELTS says that you should write a minimum of 150 words in writing task 1. If you go under word count you will lose marks in task response.

A very long letter will not give you a higher band score.

Aim for between 160 to 190 words in writing task 1. This will ensure a concise letter and will be realistic in terms of time management. You have only 20 minutes to write the letter and you need around 5 minutes of planning time, so you will not be able to write a long letter in 15 minutes.

Topic Vocabulary:
  • dissatisfaction
  • luggage handling
  • emotional stress
  • essential items
  • financial strain
  • replacement items
  • compensation
  • refund
  • monetary compensation
  • inconvenience
  • suitable solution
  • customer service
  • reimbursement
  • troubling experience
  • resolve
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