My Biggest Complaint About Delta Airlines

15 Comments

1. People like you make me want to puke. You take decisions made by the airlines personally, like they did this only because you were booked on those flights. I have been an avid flyer for the past 28 plus years, most of my miles have been with Delta. Sure, these days it’s different. Try being one of those employees who has taken pay cut after pay cut, working years for a company which has recently emerged from bankruptcy, dealing with a opinionated jerk like you. I assure you that decisions to cancel a flight are weighed very carefully, taking into consideration numerous parameters. Additonally, the government is keenly aware of the practices each and every airline employ. If Delta routinely did as you accuse, they would have been out of businees years before you came along. The assumptions you make regarding your experience are nothing but that…assumptions. When in delay situations, whether mechanical, weather or other reasons, people work tirelessly to remedy the situation. I would be willing to bet you a sizeable amount of money that sound decisions were made based on information you as a traveler are not privy to. Just because you have a talk show and can voice your opinion does not make you correct. You blame this situation on Delta, do you honestly believe that if other air carrieres were faced with the exact situation you described, and had the exact same resources available to them when it was decision time, things would have turned out any differently? As for compensation, our great and wonderful government passed laws years ago which relieved the airlies of liability in situations such as this. So don’t go blowing your stack on your precious little blog, go blow your smoke up the tailpipe of your law makers who gave Delta the right to deny you compensation under these circumstances. Next time, regardless of who you’re flying on, if it’s important enought to be home at a certain time, leave yourself a back up plan, take an earlier flight. If it’s delayed, you still might make it to your destination in time. Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on the airline’s.

   Dennis Trump on February 8th, 2008 at 2:06 am | Link

2. So what. Big deal. Then talk about it on your talk show and let the 10 people who listen to you hear your sad story. Pleaseeee. If you had a talk show you would be smarter that that.

   Phil on February 11th, 2008 at 9:50 am | Link

3. I’m sorry but agree that DELTA sucks. I don’t think what happened to you was personal but DELTA is a horrible airline. I flew with them back at the end of December and of course, there were delays (supposedly to weather yet there was no bad weather) and my biggest complaint is that they do not inform you of any delays. They let you run thought the entire Atlanta airport, damn near die from the run just to be told “you’ve been rescheduled on a later flight” back at the other end of the airport, OR “your flight was cancelled and you’re on another flight” OR tell you nothing.

   I was on DELTA February 18th coming from SC. My 5:15pm departure from Columbia, SC did not depart until after 7:00pm. We landed in Atlanta at 7:55, deplaned at 8:15 and as I ran pass the flight attendant, I asked her about the connecting flight to Fort Myers (because she mentioned all but that one) and her response was “I didn’t see anything for Fort Myers”. I ran down the steps (Oh yeah - we never pulled up to the terminal), ran through the airport from Terminal D30 I think it was, all the way down to E15 just to find that I was about 5 minutes too late.

   I was out of breath, my heart was pounding, my pulse racing and all the two tickets say and do is look at me and ask for my last name, tell me that I was re-scheduled on the 10:30 flight back at terminal B13.

   I got out “why can the passengers be told about changes”, “why did I have to kill myself getting here when I could have been told”. Their response “the flight attendants may not have known”, I told them, “The attendants knew. They informed us of all the delays and changes except for Fort Myers. Told me she didn’t see anything for Fort Myers”.

   DELTA does not inform their customers of anything, they do not care!!!

   Someone else booked and paid for my flight. I would NEVER fly DELTA at my own doing.

   They are HORRIBLE. I could very well have ended up in the hospital or dead 2 nights ago because of a lack of communication with their passengers.

   Don’t fly DELTA. The employees are rude, inconsiderate and uncaring.

   They told me they could not hold the flight because other passengers had connecting flights, well hell, they certainly held the 10:30 flight.

   I’m a passenger who missed their flight because of DELTA and their incompetence. I am not a passenger who missed their flight because of running late.

   They could have been informed that there was a passenger coming in and needed to connect on that 8:15 flight, they could have held that 8:15 flight to Fort Myers for an additional 10 minutes just like they held the 10:30 flight for other passengers arriving late due to another flight delay. So, the lie that they don’t hold flights is Bull S***.

   Lastly, back on November 20, 2007, the Washington Post had an article about DELTA and their delays and of course DELTA lied and said “”as a result of the department’s inquiry it has strengthened training, communication and quality-monitoring programs”.

   This is after DELTA was fined $115,000 over delays. The transportation department said that half the fine will be forgiven should DELTA make no further violations for a year.

   I think all of us who have had the same delay issues since November 20, 2007, need to contact the Transportation Department and let them know.

   Kimberly E. Jimenez on February 20th, 2008 at 7:54 am | Link

4. I recently flew Delta. I can take just aout anything, BUT DO NOT LIE TO ME. We wer delayed due to an accident on the highway. I called Delta and explained the problem that I would miss my 9am flight, she said no problem that when I got to Atlanta Airport just to check in and they owuld find me another flight. I then asked if there would any extra charges, I was told no (what a lie) I was charged 75.00, then to I asked if I could be put on the stand-by list, was told we do not do this anymore (another lie). Got to the gate and lo and behold Delta is announcing aout the stand-by list. Will I fly Delta again NO WAY. Your personnel in Atlanta were rude and nasty and can they tell lies. I will never fly Delta again. You need to give classes on how to teach your customers.

   Trudy Brown on February 26th, 2008 at 3:27 pm | Link

5. My wife & I flew from Toronto to Orlando with Delta yesterday, March 4, 2008. We were to fly Toronto to Cincinatti, change planes and fly on to Orlando. Expected elapsed time with Delta was to be about 6 hours. Our actual time was about 12 hours.

   Currently, it’s about 12 hours after landing at 2 in the morning and we still have no luggage.

   I read the above remarks and find for the most part our experience has been consistent with the problems others have had.

   I empathize with the front line employees of Delta and imagine it’s very demoralizing to work for a company like this but we certainly will refrain from flying Delta again.

   Ian Shaw on March 5th, 2008 at 11:25 am | Link

6. II was recently (March 26th 2008) flying Delta Business Elite from London to Fort Lauderdale via Atlanta and was so taken back by the rudeness and pure venom unleashed upon me by the Delta Business Elite Check-in representative at Gatwick (London) Airport I was just flabbergasted. Totally uncalled for… The problem was a very small and simple one yet the reaction and the outburst by the Delta employee was totally out of place and extremely nasty.

   Also, on this trip I happened to have my wife with me and she ended up in tears. The episode totally ruined the entire trip because of the unprofessional attitude and the pure rudeness of the Delta Employee.

   As for Delta, they just do not care. I did complain at the time and have heard nothing what-so-ever from Delta. They don’t even care enough to send me a boilerplate type response.

   SO… I will do what I do best… Vote with my wallet. Over the past 3 years my small Florida business has spent an average of Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand US Dollars Per year with Delta Airlines. That stopped as soon as I arrived back in my office on March 27th. It is just a drop in the bucket for Delta, not enough to worry about, but, for me it is a large amount of money and taking it from Delta and giving it to another airline is my only recourse.

   No more Delta for me, my family, my business or my employees on business travel.

   Delta just don’t care so why should I.. If you don’t like them, do as I have done. Vote with your wallet. It’s your money…

   Peter Coleman on April 2nd, 2008 at 8:41 am | Link

7. File a small claims lawsuit against these b———s!!!! I don’t even want to take up the time to relive all my horror stories. We are all being abused by the corporate system. Employees and the execs all DO NOT GIVE A DAMN.
   This country is in bad trouble
   However, it is not only Delta, but also United, American—-they are all the same and the only way to get their attention is to FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM.
   It is easy, cheap and can be done without an attorney.

   Bill Morton on April 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pm | Link

8. this ie the worst experience i have ever had they were rude there scales are not right i will not fly again

   CHARLENE GUNNELL on April 9th, 2008 at 3:04 pm | Link

9. I am writing this at the moment my sister is standing at the ticket counter at the Atlanta, Georgia airport. She is being treated rudely when she is checking in the most important thing to us. My son, an unaccompanied minor. He to at this moment should be the most important thing to Delta, but he is not. Instead a ticket agent is arguing over a hundred dollars.
   Let me explain, we purchased his ticket putting our faith in your airline on March 5th. At that time your airline had my faith and loyalty. The reservation went smoothly and I was advised of the $50.00 fee each way. I called on April 11th to re-verify his reservation since he was leaving on April 12th and I was a nervous mother whose seven year old son has never flown before let alone all by himself.
   With everything documented I transferred my child to you. Only to be advised on day of departure that your fees had gone up and were now doubled to $100.00 each way. Surprise, surprise! I immediately called customer service and demanded a supervisor. If this was true and the effective date was April 1st, why was I not notified? Why that was not disclosed when I called to confirm on the 11th? How could we be penalized when we paid in full for the airfare prior to the change?
   After a huge and embarrassing ordeal at the gate, I was advised that it would be honored and notated in his reservation, which brings us here, my nervous child witnessing my sister being told he would not be boarding to come home to his mother unless another $100.00 was paid. The counter agent who checked him in would not even give my sister the common decency to read the notations, yet argued. She demanded she review his reservation. She finally did, and did we get an apology? No, she got his ticket slammed on the counter.
   After this horrible experience we will no longer be using your services. I am sitting now anxiously waiting to take back my precious cargo. If your agents are this rude, unhelpful, and incompetent enough not to read; then how could we have faith. Delta you have lost the humanity side which would include empathy to your customers.

   Sincerely
   Kelly Breen
   Irihbreen@gmail.com

   His flights:
   Sat 12APR DELTA 887 OK U LV HARTFORD 620P V **
   AR ATLANTA 856P COACH

   Sat 19APR DELTA 1416 OK U LV ATLANTA 710A V **
   AR HARTFORD 932A COACH

   Kelly on April 19th, 2008 at 4:01 am | Link

10. I had a cancelled flight with Delta, due to some drizzle in NYC. I waited around for another 6 hours, until the wee hours of the morning to finally get a flight to the NYC vicinity. Now I have take a half day off of work to retrieve my luggage from a different airport. What a pain in the … WE have no flyers bill of rights! We need to send our complaints and letters to our senate and congressional representatives. We need a passengers bill of rights. So easily we forget those people on the jetblue flight left on the tarmac for 12 or so hours. The lobbists don’t want us to get any rights. We need the airlines to be accountable and penalized for bad behavior.

    David Burke on April 29th, 2008 at 8:38 am | Link

11. My experience were the same as the above person with unaccompanied minor. I was not aware of the $100 EACH WAY surcharge until getting to the ticket counter (after the round trip ticket was paid in full). I wrote a complaint to Delta who’s boilerplate response was that it was standard operating policy to decline waiver of this fee. Although I informed Delta at time of purchase of the minor and they took down all contact information about who would meet her at the dest airport, no mention was ever made of an additional charge upping the ticket price by over 60%. Nothing on the itenerary even mentioned this charge. Delta took no responsibility for their poor communication and SOPs. I will always look to alternative airlines and not fly Delta in my future travels.

    John Clay on July 6th, 2008 at 1:27 pm | Link

12. Delta is terrible because last time I went I was going to Atlanta and I only had 5 minutes to get on the plane.So I get over to the entry to get on the plane.But then I hear on the intercome that the plane was moved to the other side of the airport.So I go running over and i just make it on time.It was a horrible experience

    Karen on July 14th, 2008 at 8:33 pm | Link

13. I have flown Delta Airlines many times, never had a bad experiance. Flying to Aruba in January, thru Atlanta. Have a connection time of 30 minutes. Atlanta may be a busy airport, but very good, but then that my opinion..

    Mike on July 15th, 2008 at 1:27 pm | Link

14. Over the weekend I flew from Orange County, CA to Jacksonville, FL with a stop in Atlanta, GA both ways. Every flight was delayed. On my flight home my seatbelt was broken. I told the stewardess twice and she ignored me. Yeah, I know, who needs a seatbelt on a plane, but I include it in the story as another example of Delta as a company. I wish the story ended here, but…I’m sitting at the gate reading a book and they make the calls for zone 1, 2, 3. As the last passenger gets his boarding pass scanned I stand up, put my book in my backpack, and walk over to the Delta agent. This was less than one minute after the last passener scanned his boarding pass. As I walked up to the agent, she turned around and closed the door to the boarding ramp. I said I was on the plane and she told me to go to customer service. I told her it was my connecting flight and my luggage was on the plane and she ignored me. They I told her she was making a mistake and I had a boarding pass to which she told me to go to customer service and walked away. This was seconds after the last passenger had walked through the door! The passengers were still standing in line on the boarding ramp and she wouldn’t let me on the plane. I went to Delta customer service and stood in a line trying to get a Delta rep to take notice that I had a boarding pass and my luggage was on the plane. When I got to the front of the line I picked up the “curtesy” phone and the Delta rep said the computer showed that I was on the plane. I told her that if I was on the plane we wouldn’t be speaking. She told me to go to the counter and get a ticket for the next flight. At the counter the rep said I had to pay $50 for the ticket. The rep next to her asked me what time my plane left and I told him it was still there but they won’t let me on the plane and that I was at the gate for two hours and the Delta gate rep closed the door in front of me to which he said “It sounds like you were late.” Unbelievable.

    Robbie on July 22nd, 2008 at 3:05 pm | Link

15. My family have recently experienced Delta at their very worst. This is the Email I sent onto Delta - their response was probably a template email, tweaked slightly!

    My husband booked flights via KLM for travel on 10th July starting in
    Bristol (UK) via Amsterdam (NDL)to Atlanta and then onto Sarasota,
    Florida. Due to bad weather in Atlanta that afternoon we were diverted
    to Charlotte, arriving later (by about 2 hours) than expected at
    Atlanta. We got through customs, retrieved our bags for transfer to the Sarasota flight then ran like idiots through what is a HUGE airport to reach our departure gate, only to be told the flight had been delayed. All very understandable given the weather. THEN Delta decided to cancel that (and many more) flights. My husband is a platinum card holder with KLM (linked to Delta via Skyteam) as he travels extensively with his business, but these cancellations resulted in the most appalling situation we have ever encountered, we were refused admission to the Delta Lounge by a very rude lady, who only seemed to want to let in people that were Delta customers! Around 12 Delta flights were cancelled and at your ‘helpdesk’ you had THREE people trying to handle what must have been over 1500 very annoyed and messed about customers. Whilst we appreciate that the staff there were under a huge amount of pressure, which explains their general attitude, what cannot be excused was the lack of management visibility to try to calm down a very stressful time for all, elderly/disabled passengers were distressed and worried but they were not given any priority, basically it was every man/woman for themselves and it was quite franklychaos.

    We eventually escaped the hell that is Atlanta airport the following
    morning, not on a flight to Sarasota (where out baggage had travelled
    without us!) but to Tampa, where we had to hire a car to drive to
    Sarasota and collect our luggage. Not great when you’ve been on the go for about 36 hours.

    I am sure flight cancellations are something that happens every day, but Delta seemed to have no processes in place to handle people faced with this type of dilemma, it took us 5 HOURS to get our tickets issued for the Tampa flight because the guy who supposedly ’sorted the details’ made a complete and utter mess of it which took another person 75 minutes to correct. Do only a select few of your staff undergo training? Customer service like yours is going to guarantee that you will reduce the likelihood of people booking with Delta ever again! I can assure you that we will never willing get on a Delta flight again.

    Also I would like to point out that we had booked BUSINESS CLASS
    tickets, but the flight we took from Tampa was only as standard class. No apology for that was forthcoming.

    Although I will personally never get on a Delta flight again, perhaps
    you could benefit from the following advice (if you want to get repeat
    business and prevent customers leaving you in droves)

    1. Train your staff properly
    2. Train staff how to be polite & treat people with respect (whatever
    their nationality)
    3. Get more people on hand to handle mass flight cancellations, & get some upper management on the floor to help out!
    4. Give Elderly/Disabled passengers some priority (they had none)I had to help one elderly lady to a chair as she was about to faint!
    5. Train your staff that ’skyteam’ extends outside of the USA

    Last but not least I would like to report that we came across one polite Delta staff member - a lady by the name of Ruby who was able to reassure us on the morning of the 11th July that our bags were waiting our arrival at our destination of Sarasota.

    Delta Response

    Thank you for your e-mail describing the inconvenience you and your
    husband experienced due to flight irregularities when traveling with
    Delta and our SkyTeam partner KLM.

    Your time is valuable, and operating on schedule is equally important to us. When a flight is delayed or canceled due to weather, as was the case with your flight, it is being done for the safety of all passengers. The decision to cancel or delay a flight due to weather is not usually made until the day of the flight; however, we occasionally cancel some flights proactively when we become aware of an upcoming weather problem. This gives us a better opportunity to contact our customers and arrange alternate flights.

    Our airport representatives should always do all possible to make sure your traveling experience is pleasant. It doesn?t sound like you
    received the benefit of the cheerful, friendly service we strive to
    offer, and we regret this situation made your trip less enjoyable.

    Our goal is to provide the safest and most pleasant experience possible for our customers. Your report regarding the airport facility is
    disappointing.We regret your reservation was changed from first class to coach. We do all possible to avoid this situation but it is sometimes necessary due to aircraft availability or other operational matters.

    Again, thank you for writing. Please accept our apology for the
    circumstances you described. Your comments are appreciated since this is one of the best ways we have of knowing which areas need additional attention. We hope you will continue to make Delta your airline of choice.

    My Reply:

    Thank you for your reply, although I note you fail to really answer the question I posed with regards to Delta’s staff training procedures, or offer any form of compensation for our terrible journey, which lost us a day of our holiday.

    Whilst we were stuck in Atlanta, many American citizens told us that Delta have an appalling name where it comes to service, frankly I see little else in your email but platitudes and I feel confident that Delta will continue to offer customers poor service. Delta staff in Atlanta are far from ‘cheerful & friendly’ - in fact the majority were ineffective, downright rude and/or dismissive. I am afraid that following our experience Delta will never again receive my custom, and I know that as a Platinum card holder with KLM, my husband will be making his displeasure at Delta’s inefficiency known when he next travels with KLM on business.

    As you can see from my title, I am a service manager - so I do ‘know’ a little about offering services to customers, its my job..

    Hilary on July 31st, 2008 at 2:35 am | Link

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