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 Nightmare on Delta Air Lines
Posted Mon July 30, 2007 12:00 pm, by Henry B. written to Delta Air Lines
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To Whom it May Concern-
I would like to explain my frustration with Delta over my previous week's vacation. While I have been a long-time user of Delta Airlines, this one week has almost completely erased any goodwill that the company has built with me.
Over the past week's trip to Spokane, Washington, Delta committed numerous errors and Delta employees offered no help.
1) Our flight from LAX - Spokane (Delta 7672 - 7:05pm) was oversold. My wife, and our 1-yr-old daughter were bumped from the flight with *no* warning or explanation of why we couldn't board. No Delta Representative was willing to explain why we didn't have seats assigned. "Please have a seat and we'll call your name," was all that we were told.
2) Only after I went to the desk to ask the status, were we informed that our tickets (purchased a month earlier) would not be honored. We were stuck in LA City for the night, without any of the over-night supplies (medication for the baby, baby formula, diapers) that we had packed in our checked-luggage.
3) We were given $200 vouchers for our inconvenience- even though they had been offering $400 vouchers to volunteers and other people who had been bumped off the flight. Why were we treated differently?
4) We were lied to by Delta representatives who "Guaranteed" us that we had seats on a Salt Lake City - Spokane flight the next morning. This was after we told them we would rather wait in LA for a sure flight (where we could always drive an hour home to get new supplies in a worst case situation), rather than risk being stranded in a totally different city with a baby. In fact, we were not guaranteed on the Salt Lake flight- it was oversold as well. The rep had lied to us in order to move our problems to someone else's plate. The only reason we were not stranded was that there were enough volunteers to give up their seats for us. These people were also given $400 vouchers in contrast to our $200 vouchers.
During this whole ordeal, Delta staff was unhelpful, and completely indifferent to the fact that we were trying to cope with a baby. While it is fine to offer an adult a $7 voucher for meals, that just isn't acceptable for babies. We tried planning ahead by bringing extra baby-food and clothes in our carry-ons. However, TSA regulations on liquid products severely limits the quantities, meaning that we could not bring enough to satisfy her requirements for a whole 24 hours. The fact that a Delta employee was willing to send us to Salt Lake to be stranded rather than tell us the truth shows a complete lack of respect for your customers and their unique conditions.
4) On our return trip from Spokane, the flight left late due to problems getting the Crew in on time. Further, upon landing at LAX, we were forced to wait in a hot airplane for over an hour because another plane was at the gate. (We could see 3 other Delta gates open on the concourse). Even worse, upon pulling into the gate, we waited another 20 minutes as the pilot repeatedly requested someone to maneuver the Jet-Way into position. While this was only an inconvenience to my wife and fussy daughter, several people on the plane with us missed connecting flights because Delta could not a) handle the logistics of getting planes into a gate and b) get a person to maneuver a jet-way 5 feet so that people could deplane. I cannot fathom ever using Delta again when such logistical incompetence could mean that I miss connecting flights even though my plane was on time, parked at a concourse gate.
5) I still have not been credited with the Frequent Flier miles for the LAX - Spokane flight, despite having given my SkyMiles number to at least 3 people on Friday night.
While I have always been sympathetic to airlines that have weather-related delays, every single problem that we experienced was completely Delta's fault. Overselling the flights, staff that mislead or lie rather than help, and basic logistical snafus all added up to a nightmare trip. I am sorry to say that this has left me unwilling to use Delta in the future.
Based on this service, I would ask that Delta:
1) Credit my account with the appropriate SkyMiles
2) Provide us the same vouchers that they provide others
3) Look into process changes that take into account the unique needs of families flying with small children.
 Reply
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by devhyfes Posted Thu August 2, 2007 @ 12:05 AM
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Thank you for the replies.
1) I would encourage the critics to re-read my post prior to jumping
to conclusions:
a) "You shouldn't get what volunteers get" - First, I don't agree with
this premise. But even so, that doesn't appear to be Delta's policy
considering (as stated in my post) "they had been offering $400
vouchers to volunteers and **other people who had been bumped off the
flight.**"
b) "You should have packed meds/formula/etc for the flight. TSA allows
this." Yes, though the TSA says that you should pack only what is
*necessary* for the flight (I checked the same page linked by A.R.
prior to a previous flight).
We are not morons. We packed more than was necessary. What we did not
do was pack 24+ hours worth of supplies. We would have been ok just
over night, or if our flight was delayed or had we been trapped in
Spokane (where our checked-bags had even more supplies). The problem
was that Delta had confiscated our checked-baggage while attempting to
send us to be stranded in Salt Lake City.
2) "You are asking to get special treatment for having a baby." - No.
I am asking Delta to consider that people have different needs. Would
you send a woman to the Men's Bathroom? Would you direct someone in a
wheel-chair to the nearest stairway, or to an elevator? Clearly,
optimal solutions to a problem are available if you take the unique
characteristics of your customer into account.
And we offered an optimal solution: We told the Rep in LAX that we
were willing to stay in Los Angeles- where we could drive an hour
home- and would wait for a later flight, if the Salt Lake flight was
oversold. But they assured us that we had seats waiting in Salt Lake,
and had us go. For a single adult, that may be the best case scenario.
For a couple with a baby, it is a terrible idea.
And I don't think it is too much to ask that Delta consider some
alternative processes for people who cannot subsist off of airport
food (and by the way, good luck to anyone who can get a meal for $7 in
an airport- baby or no). If they are unwilling to offer the needed
care for such people (children, infants, people with special dietary
needs) then they should either not bump them when push comes to shove,
or not enter into a contract with them.
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by Peregrina Posted Wed August 1, 2007 @ 11:13 PM
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They offered you compensation and got you home safely, if a bit later
than planned. I don't see why you are complaining, except from a sense
of ruined vanity.
You should get the SkyMiles you earned, no doubt, but you don't
deserve the same compensation as those that volunteered. You make it
sound like you were dragged kicking and screaming from the gate.
As for you kids, hate to break it to you, but having munchkins is not
unique or special.
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You blew it with me with #3
What is so unique about having children? That should not put your
first in line.
Like I said, you almost had me, and you had to blow it
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by A. R. Posted Tue July 31, 2007 @ 1:15 AM
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I don't have children, but even I know that with the new TSA
guidelines things like medications and baby formula are exempt from
the 3oz carry-on rule:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm
so you didn't need to have that stuff in your checked luggage and I
don't see how it's the airline's fault that the medicine and formula
were in your checked luggage.
I flew recently with several liquid medications in my carry-on
(everything larger than 3oz) and I had no issues having any of it in
my carryon...but, I did bring a printout from the TSA website with me,
just in case I did run into a problem.
Sorry, I just needed to point that out- Other than that, though, I did
also like your letter.
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by Will P. Posted Tue July 31, 2007 @ 12:58 AM
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I liked this letter. It seemed professional and didn't complain of
anything in any way that was not capable of following through on.
I would ask why you wanted these SkyMiles credited when you don't
intend to use their service. As for the same reason, why would you
care about additional voucher amounts.
I would think they should have accommodated your family at a
reasonably nice hotel and reasonable necessities.
Tell us what ends up happening.
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