And the Winner is . . . . . DELTA/COMAIR

[slenon]

Delta must be trying to set examples in bad customer service. Gloria and I boarded a Delta flight at John Wayne Memoria to return to Tampa and then drive home from there. We were to connect in Dallas/Ft. Worth and change planes.

The Flight from John Wayne left CA at 0600 PST, on time. No frills flight, so no food, no beverages beyond a small bottle of water. Over Texas we developed a mechanical problem and diverted back to El Paso. We were kept on the plane for four hours with no air conditioning, no food or water, in the August sun. First Class passengers were taken to a lounge. No one else was allowed to deplane. Finally took off for D/FW. Our new connection was our original plane, which had been delayed for mechanical reasons. Very reassuring. No time to grab food in the airport and no food or drink aboard the new flight. Had to demand water to take our medications.

We made it into Tampa around 2200 to find that our bags were not on the plane. We wrote complaints to Delta and were treated with responses that essentially said, "so what."

We avoid them whenever we can. But the choice of airlines is narrowed and we often have no choice.

The best service I ever received was on TWA and Ozark. Too bad they're defunct.



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aka Cap'n Yid.

Stev Lenon, 91B20'68-'69
When the dawn came up like thunder

[oldfrat]

Delta was once one of my favorite airlines. I haven't flown them in a long time, but I used them for a business round trip to Germany two weeks ago where the client only authorizes coach.What a horrible experience!

It was semi-OK on the flight over. Your basic cattle car/no sleep enabled flight. But the flight back was on a plane way too small and crowded to be considered humane for a flight of that duration.

Unless I contorted my legs so my feet would slide under the seat in front of me, my knees would hit the seat back with my feet not touching the floor. The entire meal service for a 9 hour flight was a single slice of vegetarian pizza. They won't give you a full can of soft drink in their infrequent beverage services and they ran out of ice so I got to enjoy lukewarm diet cola. There weren't enough rest rooms, though, so I got plenty of time to stretch my legs while waiting in line.

Delta has seen me for the last time. No way I am going to take a chance on a repeat of this experience.

[bubba_orvis]

I used to fly Delta and Contential a lot, nice service...recently I flew NorthWest twice.

One CSR told me...."yep customers get really xxxx when we do this, oh well".

Next flight, when I asked about the total lack of service at the bag check. "Well there aren't enough of us to do that, Why don't you complain to the airline?"

I did..the response was basically...sorry, customers deserve better, we'll fix it.

I've got to fly them two more times in the near term, wonder if they can make it 4 for 4?

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bubba_orvis

Man!I hope you nail those fishes to make up for what sound like an absolute nightmare!
Tight lines!
Adam

[OkieBass133]

Delta just lost my friend Natalie's suitcase in Atlanta. Oooops!

Not what I need to hear, as I'm booked on Delta to Bozeman this August. Here's to keeping fingers crossed.

JB

[LadyFisher]

JohnB - UPS, Fed.Ex or mail anything valuable, rods, reels flies ahead so they are there when you get there. A friend or motel or lodge works. Ship as baggage nothing you can't do without.

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

Thanks for the tip, LF. I will look into that.

Regards,

JBB

[Merak]

I was waiting to see if any other airline employees were out there but apparently not. I work for NWA as an aircraft mechanic. Normally I wouldn't put that down for fear of being fired, but after 16 years I will be getting laid off permanently this summer. If you haven't been paying any attention these last 4 years the airlines are all in bankruptcy or on a banana peel outside the door. United and USAir have dumped the employees pensions on the govt's back, cut their wages, laid off thousands. Delta is real close to doing the same. Those cheap tickets you are buying come at a cost and not just in peanuts. All NWA's 747 and DC10 aircraft are overhauled in China or Singapore. Apprentice mechanics in China work for free the first 6 months. Regular mechanics there are paid a buck or two an hour. Remember that tax money the feds gave the airlines after 9/11? It went to shipping our jobs overseas and laying off 2000 mechanics here in the states. Thats my point of view as a mechanic. The flight attendants and baggage handlers have been cut back to bare minimums, and the work load has only increased because everyone is flying again. Problem is, they haven't increased the # of employees to service you folks. If you have a problem, don't blame the employees at the front line, its the bean counters running the airlines who are squeezing every little bit of change out of both the customer and the employees. Sorry for your inconvenience but these last few years have been tough on us airline employees. I am glad to be getting laid off. Airlines suck.

[Dr. Fish]

Sorry to hear that Merak. I'm sure those low cost tickets are hurting the airlines. With the exception of these Delta tickets, I don't buy the cheap tickets. Being a business traveler who has to make changes to itineraries, I get hosed and pay the big bucks which subsidizes the cheap seats. I can assure you that this is the LAST time I ever sit on a Delta or Comair plane. I'm loyal to Northwest Airlines and have been for several years. While I've had some issues with them too, they have done OK by me handling issues that come up.

All airlines could take notes from high quality carriers like Singapore Air and even ones like Jet Blue. The airlines simply do NOT care about their customers anymore. Those of us who travel are seen as a necessary evil it seems.

You'll find some more on this trip here [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum7/HTML/000842.html:5253d]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum7/HTML/000842.html[/url:5253d]
We were simply blown away by the nasty attitude of the Delta Baggage claims employee.

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Jeff - AKA Dr. Fish
If it has fins and swims than I must chase it!