We (my extended family and I) were traveling from MA to Phoenix for a week to explore AZ, on Delta Airlines. There were 8 of us traveling together, so we booked a flights with a layover each way, which was cheaper. BIG MISTAKE! The trip out was OK, without incident, but the return trip was a NIGHTMARE!
It was a 7:00AM flight, so we were up by 4:30. We (i.e. my wife and I) were up until 3AM getting ready for the flight, and I didn't sleep at all. Not one wink. But that was fine. I expect to sacrifice something for a cheap flight. I thought that would be the longer route, but it turned out much worse than that.
It started with the first plane, to Seattle, having engine trouble, it (or they) wouldn't start, so they had to bring out some machine to start them. That slowed us down at least 10-15 minutes. There was still a 30 minute gap between when we were due to arrive and when our connecting flight disembarked. We were encouraged that we would make it.
Well, we almost made it (actually, we missed it by a mile, considering they lock the doors 20 minutes before takeoff, a fact they did not explain). We got in with about 15 minutes to spare, and the stewardesses asked passengers to let those with tight connecting flights disembark first, but of course everybody ignored the request. I got off the plane with 5 minutes to spare, and RAN almost 1/2 mile to the other gate (I am 65 yoa), only to find the door locked. They refused to open it, despite the fact that we were late because of THEIR screwup. I tweaked my back in the process.
Our connecting flight from Seattle, which we missed was due about 10:00AM. They put us on the "next available flight," which would depart at 2:00PM. That was adding about 4 hours of sitting around the airport, on top of an unnaturally long 9 hour crossing. But this flight has yet another layover, in Detroit. We got in on time, about 6:00PM (my times are a bit rough, because the time zones were changing, and I'm working from memory), and this plane was on time, but guess what? The connecting flight was delayed!
The connecting flight from Detroit to Boston, which was delayed by weather, and then cancelled. They put us on the next flight, which was at 9:00PM, but as the departure time drew closer, it was announced that they were having difficulty getting the crew in from Boston, and so the flight was delayed. As it got later, 10:00 and then 11:00, it was announced that they weren't sure they would get the crew to Detroit before 1:20AM, at which time the pilot's period of duty would expire, and the flight would be cancelled!
Recall that we would never have been in that position, if they had had the first plane, in Phoenix, ready to fly when it was scheduled to fly. By midnight, I was telling the people at the Delta desk that if it was cancelled, we wanted 2 hotel rooms, a car, and a flight later in the day the next day, so we could get some sleep. They told me they were not responsible, and would not get us rooms, because it was "an act of God," i.e. a natural delay cause by weather. I reminded them that we would never have been on that flight, if the first plane of the day had not been delayed, due to their lack of preparedness, causing us to miss our first connection.
Well, it turned out that the crew from Boston DID get in on time, and we did depart to Boston at about 1:00AM, and we got into Boston about 3:30AM. bringing the entire trip to 2 layovers, 4 planes (double the planned number of each), and bringing the entire trip to 20 1/2 hours (double the scheduled duration), plus a lot of stress, worry, exhaustion, disappointment and anguish. By the time we got home, it had been 48 hours since we had last slept.
The company, Delta Airlines, did not ever agree to any compensation for our trouble, whatsoever, despite the fact the this entire NIGHTMARE started with their failure to have their plane ready in Phoenix. They were dismissive of any such suggestion. I say the trip they gave us was worth nowhere near what we paid for it. One airline employee, when I complained, said I "get what I paid for" (since it was a cheap flight), but nowhere in our contract does it say we would get only severely substandard service for our money (it was supposed to be cheap because it had a layover in a city in the wrong direction from our destination)!
I say that capitalism, i.e. capitalists like DA have engineered the laws to protect them far better than they protect us. I believe that capitalism is the root of this problem, as it is in fact at the root of most of our problems.
We all agree, we will never again fly on Delta Airlines, which gave us the worst flying experience of our lives.
BTW, THE NH address given with this review is inaccurate. I don't know how it got there, but Delta Airlines is an international company. read more