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Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines • SkyMiles • Travel vouchers • Delta/AmEx promotions • European promotions • Reservations & itinerary changes • Lost/damaged luggage • Unaccompanied children • Puerto Rico USA • Miscellaneous --- News • Delta Reduces Capacity As Fuel Prices Rise • Delta Cuts Flights in Slowing Economy • Delta Alters Fees to Conform to Northwest's • Delta, Northwest Complete Merger • Delta Adding Wi-Fi to All Flights • Delta Raises Second Checked Bag Fee to $50 • Delta Passengers Stranded 7 Hours on Plane • Delta Sells Ads on Boarding Passes • Delta, Northwest Merger Faces Heavy Chop • US Airways Makes Bid for Delta • Delta Beefs Up Routes, Retrofits Its Jets • Delta Begins Passing On Airport Fees To Passengers • Delta Writes Coda to Song • Delta Files for Bankruptcy • Delta Sells Regional Carrier To Raise Cash • Delta Abandons $499 Fare Cap • Delta Warns of Bankruptcy • Delta Passengers To Brown Bag It • Delta Cuts Fares

Complaints about the major airlines are plentiful. What's a little unusual about Delta is how angry some of its best customers are -- those who've reached stratospheric in the SkyMiles program, for example. These are the 100,000-mile flyers that every airline swears it will do anything to retain. Delta certainly has an odd way of showing it.

We'd say the comments below pretty well sum it up.

Pat Vazquez of Dayton, NV March 11, 2009

Pat of Dayton NV (03/11/09)
My daughter purchased a round trip ticket for me to take care of her children while she and her husband were traveling. I was asked to extend my stay a few days to take care of another grandchild for a son who was invited to a law school preview event. The original ticket cost a little over 300. The Delta website said they had a button to use to change the intinerary, but there was no such option. I called the customer service number and got an agent that I couldn't understand. He told me that I could get a one-way ticket change for over 500. I asked about buying a new one-way ticket, still over a week away, and was given a 400 plus price.

Meanwhile he tried to sell me a hotel room and a rental car. I hung up. I got a one-way ticket on Southwest for 170. United had a similar offer, but would have had to pay for baggage check.

Gustavo Acevedo of Oakland, CA March 10, 2009

Gustavo of Oakland CA (03/10/09)
We purchase 3 tickets for round trips on Delta Airlines from Oakland Califonia to San Juan Puerto Rico. Each ticker Cost 398.00. We were going to leave on April 1st and returning April 15th. Due to a family emergency we have to change our flights to June 15th to June 30th. I was told that it will cost 200.00 each ticket for changing the date plus 150.00 each ticket in the difference of the value. That equals 350.00 each ticket. That is a very high penalty, specialy since the ticket cost 398.00 each. It will cost a total of 1,050.00 to change the dates. It was costing us 1374.60 to travel. Now they wat us to pay 2424.60. If we cancel they will charge 200.00 each and the rest of the price we will only get as a credit to be used before April 1st 2010.

My Mother is so upset. She always used Delta to fly to Puerto Rico. We Explained the family emergency and Delta said they do not have a program that deals with family a emergency. My mother is in the process getting custody of 2 grandsons and a granddoughter. This started after we purchased the tickets. The courts have order her to appear on April 1st for a court date, this happens to be the day we scheadule the flight. My mother is 67 years old, retired, on a fixed income and now she fears for the wellbeing of her grand children. She can not afford this amount. I have spoken and e-mailed the airline. Is there anything we can do to remedy this situation? Is there any Federal or California regulations on airline refunds?

Robyn Suarez of Gretna, LA March 9, 2009

Robyn of Gretna LA (03/09/09)
On February 22, 2009, 5 people had a flight scheduled for St. Croix, booked along with a reservation at a Luxerious Retreat which we paid for in advance (672) a night beginning on 02.22.09 thru 03.01.09. Upon arriving at the Gulfport, Mississippi Airport - 2 hours early [like requested by Airlines], we were told that our flight had been delayed due to Mechanical Problems. After 6 hours of waiting (and all of our connecting flights now missed), we were told that the flight was cancelled. We were beyond mad - we had waited all this time for the flight and had now missed, not only every connection but were going to be a day late for our arrival at the villa which was paid for, the rental car which was paid for and had entirely lost a day of our vacation.

While two of us were at the desk frantictly trying to make other arrangements, one of us was on our personal cell phone with Delta trying to get some cooperation on getting us to our destination. After another several hours, we were told that Delta had found other flights to get us to our destination but we had a stop over in San Juan Puerto Rico and would arrive in St Croix at 11:30 p.m. on 02.22.09. We were dissappointed but resigned ourselves to the fact that this was the only way. So, we left Gulfport - flew to Atlanta Georgia and were on our way to San Juan.

Upon arriving at San Juan, we checked in with the tickets given to us in Gulfport and were seated on the plane. Five minutes before leaving, an official with the airlines in Puerto Rico, boarded the plane and asked us all to exit the airplane, which was full, immediately - like common criminals. We all did this, while being humuliated in front of many people. We were escorted off of the airplane by two men and one woman. Upon returning back into the Terminal, we were told that we only had boarding passes and no tickets. By this time, the airplane left us.

WE WERE STRANDED IN A STRANGE AIRPORT AT 11:30 P.M. One of the officials tried 4 times to get a Delta Official on the telephone to no avail. He told us that no one could verify our flight and that we would have to stay in Puerto Rico overnight at our own expense. We were mortified - we had this once in a lifetime trip scheduled and now we were stuck in Puerto Rico for who knows how long. Luckily, we found a hotel at 1:00 a.m. for a cost to us of 200 for one night. We stayed in San Juan for one night and finally - next morning we flew out at 11:30 a.m. and arrived at St Croix at 1:00 p.m. a full 24 hours late.

This mistake by Delta has cost us the following: 672 - Villa Hacienda 204 - Hotel in San Juan 45 - Food 114 - Rental Car 374 - 5 Massages which were scheduled for Sunday p.m. which were paid for and missed (no cancellation policy) Plus the entire day of vacation that each of us had waited for 5 months to have which was lost. Is this a testiment to the kind of business which Delta wants publicized?

Susan Winchester of Bryson City, NC March 1, 2009

Susan of Bryson City NC (03/01/09)
I just had the worst possible experience trying to fly from Miami International Airport to Atlanta, GA. My reservation was for a flight from Miami to Atlanta on Delta. My departure time was 11:15. The flight was delayed until 12:00 noon. No problem!!! Our plane came in and needed repairs, more delay, no problem! I expressed my concern about getting to Atlanta in time to make my connecting flight at 2:50. He said don't do anything now. Just wait and see what happens with your scheduled flight. I waited and waited and waited. My flight was cancelled after 3 p.m. During this 4 hour wait, 2 flight numbers were called that were flying to Atlanta. NO ONE SAID A WORD ABOUT ALL OF US ON FLIGHT 1988 WHO WERE STILL PATIENTLY WAITING FOR OUR FLIGHT TO BE CALLED.

Not knowing what to do when our flight was cancelled, my daughter called Delta. They said you were rescheduled to leave at 2 p.m. on flight (? I've forgotten the number) How on earth could we have known this without an announcement? At this time two more flights were scheduled to leave Atlanta. We tried for the first one and were told ABSOLUTELY NO MORE SEATS WERE AVAILABLE.

Yet I witnessed a woman and her son who were in our predicament board the plain because she demanded to see the manager of the airlines. When told he was in a meeting. She demanded, get him out of the meeting. I'm getting on this plane and she did! Seeing that this worked, I demaned that my daughter and I be placed on standby for the last flight leaving Atlanta. We were told by a ticket agent. GET away from my desk. Sit down. I'll see what I can do. She proceeded to completely ignore me and my daughter.

Finally, a nice Jamaican agent got us standby on a flight to Charlotte, NC, then to Asheville. We got to Asheville Airport at midnight when we were originally scheduled to arrive there at 3:50. Needless to say, our bags with all our clothes and MEDICINE where still in Atlanta. I was unable to find a seat in the Miami Airport most of the day and sat on the floor. I am 61 years old and have arthritis bad. I feel I was treated extremely rude and the Delta Airlines are so unprofessional I won't be surprised if they don't survive the economic crisis. I would think they would treat their customers better. Our flight from Miami to Charlotte, then Asheville on American Airlines was so pleasant compared to Delta. The ticket agent was so professional and pleasant. I told my husband I can never fly Delta. My experience was so horrible.

Dean Pernicone of Ladera Ranch, CA February 26, 2009

Dean of Ladera Ranch CA (02/26/09)
Delta Airlines booked me with roundtrip confirmed First Class Seats although I did pay a discounted rate for them. Nevertheless all boarding passes we first class seats. It turns out the last leg of my flight was delayed and I was forced to find other arrangements to get home.Being this was a busy holiday weekend most flights were booked. They tried to book me on another Delta flight the next evening but I would have had to stay in Atlanta for a whole day. Being this was mechanical difficulty on their part, they conveniently forgot to tell me that I could rebook on another airline, (something I had to find out on my own).

When I tried to book on the other airline, the Delta ticket agent said that my first class seats could not be transfered to another airline becuase those discounted seats were actually upgraded coach class seats. At the time of booking, all I knew that I was booking in First class, these weren't standby seats or upgrades on the day of departure, but confirmed first class seats. I flew back from Atlanta to Ortange County in Coach on American Airlines.

There were numerous other faults that the airline portrayed, extreme wait times to get a hotel voucher to stay overnight in Atlanta forcing us to camp out in the airport with many other individuals sharing equal or greater frustration. The I can't help you we're closed attitude we received from just about every delta representative in the atlanta airport. So on top of delaying my flight which caused a cancellation and next day dpearture all due to Delta, the way they treated my family with little regard constant passing the buck until you reached the end of the line with over 2 hour wait to get any sort of customer service at 1:00am I might add. I wrote to Delta explaining all this in a 5 page letter. I even told them the few things that went right due to one helpful Delta agent at the Tampa airport (where my flight originated).

The result of all this inconvenience and dis-service as well as flying back in coach instead of my confirmed first class seats was a whopping 100 each. The difference in fare alone was valued at a minimum 300 each for the leg between Atlanta and Orange County. I told them this was unacceptable. The amount credited did not reflect everything I went through with my family that evening (having to sleep in the airport unnecessarily, the extra meals, were certainly more costly to us than this 100 voucher. But the main issue was paying for a roundtrip ticket in First Class and not having that service delivered. That as far as I'm concerned is as inexcusable as the way we were treated at the Atlanta airport.

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