Delta Airlines

We thought Delta was slowly improving, but a recent trip that resulted in a back injury made us question our optimism. And Customer Service only made things worse - far, far worse.

The reason for this posting is to highlight several mis-truths and unacceptable actions Delta took, hoping someone outside their normal Customer Service channel sees it and at least tries to make substantive changes. Unfortunately, I am not sure if there is anything surprisingly new here.

This is a long story and I will try to keep it as simple as possible, so please dont flame me for leaving out some details. My wife and I were flying home from ORD on a Friday morning, and the Delta text communication system was not performing well. Each of us received 9 texts about flight and connection gate changes.

We finally boarded with more than enough time to make our now 50-minute DTW connection, but as soon as the plane door closed, the pilot informed us of a mechanical issue. We sat at the gate for about an hour while the Delta App showed us still booked on our original connection. The defective switch got replaced, and we were finally on our way.

When we got close to landing at DTW, the flight attendant came over to warn us not to dawdle when we landed and to check the Delta App immediately upon arrival. Then she informed us that if we missed our connection, Delta would try to get us on the next available flight (8 hours later at best) but since this was a weather delay there were no guarantees and we might be on our own for lodging, etc.

It was not clear how a 60-minute mechanical delay could possibly be considered a weather problem, but she verified it again as Deltas position. Now we were extra stressed.

As soon as we landed, we checked the Delta app, and it showed us still booked on our original connection - now boarding in a different concourse because the gate changed yet again. Feeling like we had no other reasonable option, we ran non-stop as fast as we could (we are regular runners) with our carry-on bags, from Concourse A, through the flashy tunnel (not the best audio / visual experience when stressed and out of breath), and to our gate in Concourse B. The gate agent apparently didnt hear our calling out or see us waving as we ran up, and we missed the boarding door closing by about 20 seconds.

This was not a remotely reasonable connection for humans, but the systems algorithm determined it was and routed us that way.

Most frequent fliers have many frustrating stories like this, but by running with my bag to make an unknowingly improbable connection, I hurt my back badly. 30 Days of very painful spasms were followed by another 2 months (as of today) of persistent neck and back pain with constantly interrupted sleep. To make matters worse, we got trapped in Customer Service Hades which started at DTW. I will spare you the finer details of delayed re-booking updates or having to argue repeatedly with Airport CS to get meal vouchers for our new 8-hour layover (reference Delta Customer Service Plan Point 12), but nobody at the Delta gate, lounge, or DTW CS terminal desk made us feel like they cared.

There was one very nice CS agent on the 800 travelers # who advised us to call the regular CS 800 # first thing on Monday and try to get compensation.

I tried calling the Customer Service 800 # for about a week after, but could reach nothing but an old-fashioned busy signal (I did not know they still existed) and finally a recording directing me to use the online complaint system. My use of the word injury got their attention, and they called me within a day, but the process from then on was far less than helpful or truthful.

CS Agent #1 offered me a $300 voucher (thats all we can do) for my experience and told me 5 times that he was the only person I could talk to because we do not have a complaint escalation process. When I asked a 6th time, he finally confessed there was a process, and he agreed to escalate my complaint. Except, unbeknownst to me, my complaint was closed out without escalation or resolution.

So much for Customer Service Plan Point 11: will send a substantive response When I finally realized that nobody would be contacting me, I filed a new complaint, and 46 days after my initial filing, I was called by a Customer Service Manager. Progress, finally!

In a moment of candor, she admitted that CS Agent #1 should not have said the things he said nor canceled my claim, but then she slipped into the same CS script. A $300 voucher is all Delta can offer (like its an immutable law of physics) followed by another 4 rounds of there is no escalation process beyond me. Really?

What if I contact Ed Bastian? Then it will come right back to me and this is all we can do.

After round 5 of asking the same escalation question in different ways (there is a disturbing pattern of denials, here), she finally admitted there is a CS level above her but they cant address complaints. Huh??? So, just to clarify, I asked, all injury claims to Delta are only worth $300?

And that was finally the right question. She proceeded to tell me that if I had followed the proper injury claim process, I might be entitled to more, but she could not, or maybe would not, answer why they never told me there was a process, much less how to follow it. Oh, and it was now too late to follow it on Day 46.

She finished our call by explaining that despite my dissatisfaction and protests, she was closing out my complaint because this was all we can do, but it was my right to pursue my grievances through social media because there are no other escalation channels within Delta. Hence, this post

PS Our next Delta trip was no less frustrating.

With no notice or explanation, Delta changed my reclining bulkhead seat to a non-reclining seat for an international overnight flight of 9-plus hours. I didnt learn of this until the gate agent handed me a new boarding pass, literally as I boarded.

Non-reclining seat was against the bathrooms with cramped legroom. Flight was full. Flight attendants couldnt explain what had happened. Delta Chats King Queenzie was worthless while flight was airborne, he told me to take it up with the gate agent.

He blamed flight delays (there were none) and system updates (???). Customer services Jessica Wilkinson later blamed unspecified operational circumstances and unforeseen factors. She refused to say what my rights were, as requested, or otherwise explain the surprise change, beyond vague euphemisms. Flight attendants gave me 4,000 miles; Delta 2,000 more.

Not enough for a highly uncomfortable sleepless night. Id had the bulkhead seat assignment for three months.

I had a flight scheduled for me and my family on August 3rd 2024. I understand weather can cause delays and cancellations, but if that WAS the case, we were never notified about why we were delayed or why it was ultimately cancelled, and when we went to get some answers, the employee at the desk walked away because her shift was over.

I asked an employee about comping us a hotel room because we didnt have a ride home, and he told me they couldnt do that because it was weather related so thats not their fault, so they dont have to pay I finally talked to an employee about a new flight to Florida even if it had to leave from a different airport, they got me, my boyfriend, and my son on one out of Newark, and our friend on one out of JFK, but because we were 24 hours late for our rental car pickup, they canceled our reservation, never gave us the money back to hold it, and we had to book another one that was more expensive because it was day of. We had a fee because we checked in late at our hotel as well.
Then I finally get to Florida and they lost mine and my boyfriends suitcase and my sons booster seat. We were told when we got rebooked, that they where going to take the first flight out of LaGuardia to Florida the next morning and we would meet it down there, well they never put it on the plane! It took 2 days to arrive, had to buy clothes for the next couple days so we could shower and change after 24 hours in an airport.

I did submit a claim for that, havent heard back yet, but I saw online they think only $50 a day is going to clothe 2 full grown adults and thats just crazy. But my brand new suitcase is also missing a wheel now because the luggage handlers are jerks. I havent been able to get ahold of anyone to explain this and get that report out in as well.

$175, used for the first time, and cant be used anymore! All in all, I will never be using Delta again, and I am also going to make sure all my friends and family know not to use you as well.

We had to book through Delta to use SkyMiles points, but they put us on one of their associated airlines, WestJet. The morning of our flight, WestJet cancelled the flight and said they were going to put us on a midnight flight where we had to wait for five hours in the airport at 5 o'clock in the morning.

We said this was unsatisfactory, so I phoned Delta and I guess got a third-party who assured us that we would get our money back and our points back if we cancelled that flight and rebooked. I was on the phone for about 2 1/2 hours. His name was Marshall. At any rate, it is now April.

I have had many conversations via email with Delta. They returned my points but only gave me $87 and change per ticket as my rebate. In the final communication, they said I had to deal with WestJet.

I had already talked to WestJet, who told me that I had to go through Delta. I am extremely frustrated by this process since I have paid for this trip now twice based on my assurance that I would receive a rebate for this flight being cancelled, which was not our fault.

My luggage was lost before my flight departure. The personnel from Midland Airport, Delta Air Lines that is responsible for handling the luggage placed my bag in a different plane.
I arrived at my final destination frustrated and also my luggage didn't arrive.

I reported this imediately in the next Airport that I landed, but of course my problem wasn't solved. I have important things in that baggage and everybody's says that it's not missing if 21 days didn't past.

Seriously?! My stuff is not with me, my stuff is missing to me and also no compensation it's applied even if I paid a lot for the weight of the baggage to be transported.

I am trying to book a flight from Richmond,VA to Naha, Okinawa. The advertised price for the flight, including premium select seating was $3,334.

This was the advertised price for a number of different flights and routes. Every time I go to book in the Delta website, after entering all info, selecting seats, and providing my credit card, the price more than doubles due to seat no longer available at price. It does this on every flight every time. Days later, the advertised price hasnt changed, saying the seat is still available.

I spoke to their customer service, and even after showing them the information, they refuse to honor the advertised price, without providing any concrete reason except that the seat might be taken. Of course, they are still advertising the price as available hours later. Its clear that their website is using false advertising.

Additionally, their refusal to honor their own pricing is a violation of deceptive pricing law. Ive filed a complaint with the DOT and considering legal action.