Delta Airways disaster

**Sam** · 07-08-2011, 03:10 PM

Hi Guys

Just wondering if anyone else has had a bad time with Delta Airways? We will be thinking about flights again to Disney and Delta as normal come in cheaper than most. We have vowed to never fly with them again but I was wondering if our exerience was a one off.

When we flew with them last year things were ok from Gatwick to Charlotte but from there on it all went down hill. Whilst waiting to board our flight from Charlotte to Orlando we noticed that all our party was split up, even the children. Whilst as adults it was fine but they were expecting my 4 year old and 8 year old to sit at different ends of the plane away from any of us. When we questioned the desk they just shrugged their shoulders and told us to take it up with the air crew. After making sure we were first on, we very nicely asked (I don't do stroppy very well) if we could at least have an adult seated with each child. Whilst I don't do stroppy the air crew obviously do they basically told us to sit down, shut up and we would sort it out later. At that point I stood my ground until it was sorted. In the end they put the children with an adult but left it for us to explain to the other customers why they had to move. It turns out this was normal practise for all the passengers and we were the first of many families to throw a wobbly.

On the return flight after dealing with a VERY rude checking in agent, we were all seated together from Orlando to Charlotte. However we had been seated with children on the emergency exits and the air crew had a go at us, nothing to do with us, we didn't ask for those seats. When we got to Charlotte once again we were all split up on the trip back to Gatwick. This time we had to get in a long queue to complain there many families in the same situation. We did manage to get the adults seated with the children but that was only because some kind brits offered to move for us. Apart from the tv not working (not really a big deal for us we had plenty of other things to do), my father and brother missed out on a meal as they ran out and when they went to buy some sweets from the duty free to eat as they were hungry there were none to be found.

I promise you this did all happen, we are not know to complain and make a fuss but I was not happy for a 4, 9 and 11 year old to fly all the way home sat on their own. Am I asking for too much?

**Tink** · 07-08-2011, 03:55 PM

I've had problems with Delta before (but those you experienced are something else again!).

I used to travel every week for work, and ended up only using Delta in a complete emergency. I had nothing but poor service from them, and as you experienced, very rude service.

If you can avoid them, I would.

**Slowhand** · 07-08-2011, 04:04 PM

I would certainly send a letter or email to their customer service dept. [You say that you don`t "do stroppy", but that experience beggars belief and a strong letter of complaint would not go amiss].

For my part, it has been ages since I last flew with Delta and to be honest I found them to be very good at the time.
This was years ago though so it sure seems like their standards of customer care have slipped somewhat since then.

**chief** · 07-08-2011, 07:02 PM

i think it worth paying the extra and fly with virgin

we went with them last year and they were great

i would be completelt put off if i had your experience

**uscwest** · 07-08-2011, 07:49 PM

Wow, I've never had a problem like that with Delta. The biggest problem I've had was flight cancelled because of mechanical problems. I was headed to Europe and needed to be there the next day for business. They paid for my taxi to a different airport and put me on a flight leaving that night on a different airline.

**Tink** · 07-08-2011, 07:51 PM

How long ago was that?

I used to fly Delta with good results in the 90's. Service changed dramatically for the worse in the 2000. I stopped flying with them for all intents and purposes in 2009.

**Britchick** · 07-08-2011, 07:55 PM

Ive had good service from delta and American airlines but had terrible service from Virgin which has meant that I still won't use them 10 years on.

I would definitely complain to them as this is not acceptable. I've found that the internal flights in the US have poorer customer service than the transatlantic ones.