3.30.2008

An Open Letter to Delta Airlines

To whom it may concern:

I was on a Delta flight 1203 this morning from Atlanta to Kansas City. You can google around and find a photo of me to see if you remember me, but it may be hard to recognize me from photographs failing to show the steam I had coming out of my ears when you saw me last.

To refresh your memory, I was the bald fellow with the trophy wife and four children, sizes small, medium, large and extra large. The small one was brownish, the other three were sort of a whitish color.

For reasons I do not understand - and I'm open to the fact that it might have been my fault - my family was issued seats scattered between row 11 and 22. There were two adjacent seats; the other three were flying solo (the little brown child is still called a 'lap child' by the airline industry...a term that must have been coined by someone who has never flown with a child).

We asked the very first Delta employee - a woman at the ticket counter - if she could help us. She said "No. I just take your bags" and encouraged us to check at the gate.

At the gate, they told us "No, we can't help you, but the flight attendant can once you're on board."

At the front of the plane, the flight attendant said "No, I can't help you, but take your seats and the attendant in the back will help you get all together."

I put my tribe in their seats and went back to find the flight attendant in the rear galley. He said "I can't help you. Our policy says I can't because people will feel pressured to move - but you can ask them."

Let me say I understand your policy, and I think it's reasonable. Who knows why I ended up scattered about the cabin, but these people have contracted for that specific seat and they are entitled to it if they want it...but why on earth did three consecutive Delta employees pass the buck until I came to the end of the line and one of you had to tell me the truth - that I was on my own?!?!?!

Fortunately, it wasn't too hard swapping my two seats in Row 11 for two in Row 22 that were adjacent to a third, getting some of us together....but for crying out loud, can Delta just tell the truth from the moment I walk into the terminal instead of making me go to the furthest hinterlands of the plane expecting help and getting zip?

I deeply regret that I have to board another Delta flight on Thursday. Long live Southwest Airlines!

4 comments:

Jason Kovacs said...

Amen! Couldn't have said it better. I have never understood why they would seperate families in the first place and then give you such a hard time when you want to switch around. It serves everyone in the end.

My best flight expereince to date was on Alaskan Airlines. Too bad they don't fly on the east coast : (

Esther Irwin said...

I hope not all the airlines are like this...we have a heap of them to get on in the next month! Only 3 more sleeps before getting on that big ship that flies.

Cindy Schmidt said...

Imagine having this conversation on a 15-hour flight to China when no one speaks English....Oh- on a whole new airplane rant -on our last flight - almost 20 hours to India - they showed "Knocked Up" on the plane!So not only am I sitting in an Indian man's lap the entire trip, the liquor is flowing and I am watching naked people- gotta love the German airlines....

Liz said...

I will apologize for Delta. I've always been a HUGE fan. It hasn't always been that way. I think the gas prices are starting to rub off on the entire company... makes 'em a little cranky, if you know what I mean. I hope you will have mercy give 'em another chance to make your day... ;)