Delta treats First Class Customers like Baggage

A few questions. If you travel so much as to spend $20k/mo, why on
earth would you fly an inferior airline (DL) when CO flies IAH-BOG
direct and has superior service and aircraft??

You weren't in First. Neither Continental nor Delta offer a First
Class cabin to Bogota. At most, you held an unrestricted Business
Class ticket. The IAH-ATL leg would've been domestic F class. The
ATL-BOG would've been C class. Neither DL nor CO offer international F
class anywhere in the system.

It's an issue of semantics as the cabin is the same whether sold as
domestic F or int'l C. DL flies domestic-configured narrowbodies on
those routes, the stage lengths (how long the flight is) are
comparable to many domestic US flights and don't warrant widebody
int'l service. It's a 3 hour and change flight. New York-Las Vegas is
the same distance as IAH-BOG and 200mi longer than ATL-BOG. San
Francisco to Detroit is longer. Boston to LA is MUCH longer.

It's not an issue of fare difference. CO's D fare (advance purchase)
is $20 more than DL's unrestricted full flex C ($2746 vs. $2766). CO's
unrestricted C fare is only $300 more. Surely someone with $20k/mo in
travel spend would want to save time and take the direct flight? It's
not as though you'll lose miles as CO and DL have full reciprocity and
you'll earn identical miles for flights taken on either carrier. Yes,
you'll earn a few more miles on IAH-ATL-BOG but when spending so much
how would you have time to waste on the connection? If it's the seat
you want and you have the time, fly via Deep South America (GRU, EZE
or SCL) and connect back north to BOG. Waste of time but you'll get
the wide chair, legroom and service.

Also, as for your refund, it's going to be a grand total of $240. The
difference between Y and C isn't large at all for that market. For
someone who flies quite so much you lost more in earning potential
writing that letter than your refund is worth.

So, best advice to you? Get a real travel agent who knows what they're
doing, learn it yourself and quit wasting time or get a NetJets card
and fly private.


Signed,

Someone who spends about $45k/yr on travel, buys domestic and int'l F
tickets, and actually knows what they're doing.

Unfortunately most of the airlines have gotten pretty lax in the
service and accomodations. A friend was charged for a pillow, a
blanket, those stupid earphones that sound like tin cans and twine,
and extra to use their wireless internet router.(shrewd...you had to
pay for the password) This WAS first class from Eastern Europe to New
York City. I think it was a 12 or 13 hour flight, non stop, they got a
small bag of pretzels, a six ounce can of soda with a bendy straw, two
chicken wings and something they considered a vegetable. At least they
got some food. The booze was pretty much free as long as you ordered
beer. Liquor was extra.
His brother-in-law had the same exact seating problem you conveyed
very well in your complaint. I would expect much better for full-fare
first class. What would it have taken for them to find someone willing
to switch seats? Most people are accomodating, especially if they're
travelling alone. Or someone with a child where legroom is not an
isuue.... My point is, The airline already made their quota and profit
margin so why not at least try?? If they did you'd probably have been
pleased that they cared or at least listened. If you're treated well,
chances are you'll recommend them or use them again. If you're treated
like this you never forget. This was a few years back and I don't
recall the airline but it could well have been Delta.

You're letter is well written, your complaint is valid and I think
they should, at the very least, apologize.

I feel for you. For the price you pay, you SHOULD get meal service
(or at least get those $5 box lunches for free), plus cocktails. It's
the first-class fares that help subsidize the cheaper fares the rest
of us usually pay.

Since when are airline tickets "fully-refundable"?

The one and only time I've ever gone 1st class was on US Airways and
it totally rocked my socks. My mom and I were traveling, and we
upgraded our tickets for $50 bucks at the last minute, and I thought
it was totally worth it.

I was in the front row and there was not only tons of leg room, but
tons of seat room in a big, comfy chair. The stewardess brought
snacks and beverages 4 times during the just over one hour flight - a
basket with candy and chips and pretzels and granola and stuff. If
you wanted more, you just called her. The guy beside me had no less
than 6 Bud Lights while we were flying.

The only thing that ruined it was the blizzard in Ohio we were flying
into...lots of turbulence, zero visibility. I figure that excused the
guys drinking pattern. ;o)

I agree with the OP. The service he received would have been
acceptable for economy class, but remember that he paid extra for
first class. I don't know about Delta, but I know for United,
Northwest, and probably most airlines, the fare difference between
first class and coach class is substantial. My elderly mother, for
example, often needs to travel overseas for business. She is in poor
health and needs the extra leg room. She cannot afford first class
fares due to the substantially higher cost, but she has the frequent
flyer miles to upgrade from economy class and receives excellent
service. I once few first class on United via an upgrade with
frequent flyer miles, and the service was excellent. Plenty of leg
room, beverages, snacks, an excellent meal, and very friendly flight
attendants.

Thanks for posting your letter, Caton W. I'll warn my mother not to
waste her money and suffer cramped leg room on Delta.

That sucks.

My last flight was about a month or so ago. I flew from Las Vegas to
Sacramento on Southwest. There was, indeed, beverage service and
little bags of peanuts. The whole flight was about 1.5 hours long and
I sat in coach. I'm only 5'3, so leg room isn't really an issue for
me.

I'd think Delta could do better for those who shell out the extra for
first class.

I can see how no food/beverage service is bad; was it a short flight?
My mom flew to Colorado recently, and while flying to her connecting
airport, the flight had no food service because it was an hour-long
flight. And I though some airlines let some passengers board early to
get a good seat (I saw on "Airline" recently a very tall man board
early to get a seat with ample leg room)? Or, can't you ask for a
seat with leg room when you get your ticket?

Forgive me if my conclusions are wrong, but I haven't flown in YEARS.
Last time I flown, I was on a military plane, seated close to the
engine. LOL

Delta did provide you with the service you paid for.

All airlines have done away with meal service on flights shorter than
3-4 hours. Alot of flights also have no or limited beverage service
anymore. I'm sure that once on the plane if you had asked POLITELY
for a glass of water, you would have gotten one.

Regarding your seat and leg room, if you had done your homework on the
seat you choose, by MAYBE going to seatguru.com, you would have known
that the bulkhead seats on a 757 (and most aircraft for that matter)
have a bit less legroom than the other seats.

So, all in all, you have no complaint, now do you?

Also, I doubt Delta will miss your business. As a travel agent who
works almost exclusively with corporate clients, if you came to me
with this story, I would laugh you out of my office, and fire you as a
client.