Holiday travels- Never again on Delta

[the1kidd03]

1 trip, 3 flights with only one layover sounds simple enough.

Turned into
1 trip: First flight delayed/changed 3 times (wasted a day) and re-routed connections twice
Return flight got canceled (after boarding) and got put on a later flight with a connection which not only left later, but took twice as long to get home (than the initially planned direct flight). Wasting another day pretty much. Almost nearly missed the connecting flight too.

We were supposed to get home yesterday around 4:45pm. Finally home.


Ahhhh...holiday travels. Can't say I've had this much headache in one trip before though. Delta seems really unprepared/unorganized
We were when we actually saw our bag hit the carrousel after all these last minute flight changes and nearly missed connections.


Just wanted to rant. Glad the holiday is over.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Too bad you didn't get in on their "glitch" pricing at least. Were the delays because of Delta or were they weather-related?

 

[the1kidd03]

Not sure why the delays on the first flight. The return flight was due to mechanical problems and not having spare parts/planes available, and then not having anything comparable immediately available. Understandable, of course. Just frustrating.

 

[hoosierdoc]

My mom just flew out of FL and tons of delays due to the massive amount of people flying, wasn't weather related. I agree though, delta sucks

 

[churchmouse]

Nevr use Delta but most airlines have similar days. Not enough equipment/parts/staff to handle emergency's.

 

[PistolBob]

I fly between 20-30 times a year. I have been left on tarmacs for hours, stranded in empty terminals, boarded and deboarded several times....trust me, Delta does suck but they're no worse than United (the worst airline in the world), US Airways, or Southwest. Welcome to modern US air travel. If you ever rode the bus in the 1970's....it's about the same thing flying. Planes stink, filthy seats, flight crews look like they just got out of bed, there is no professionalism in the airlines.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

But did you at least get fondled extra times by the TSA? Two by two, hands of blue!

 

[femurphy77]

Our entire air travel system is operating on the verge of total meltdown every day. The hub and spoke system is probably the most financially viable way to run an airline but as we've seen time and again it doesn't take much to domino the whole thing into chaos. And as easy as it seems to most of us, they do not have any "spare" planes sitting around waiting to take up the slack when there is an equipment failure. Unless you're a college basketball team.

 

[IndyUSMC]

I fly between 20-30 times a year. I have been left on tarmacs for hours, stranded in empty terminals, boarded and deboarded several times....trust me, Delta does suck but they're no worse than United (the worst airline in the world), US Airways, or Southwest. Welcome to modern US air travel. If you ever rode the bus in the 1970's....it's about the same thing flying. Planes stink, filthy seats, flight crews look like they just got out of bed, there is no professionalism in the airlines.

Bob the same thing can be said about the flying public. I fly at least 2 times a month and it is always a great show to watch the traveling public. Flip flops, shorts, and a t-shirt with an obscene logo is not hard to find. Look at any ad for flying form the even the early days and you will find people wearing coats and ties. The general public expects to pay Greyhound Bus prices, the dress like that is how they are traveling, and the airlines now treat them that way.

There is plenty of professionalism in the industry. One big problem is the industry does not want to pay what it really should, but that is another debate. The next time you fly on a small regional jet, that pilot in the front right seat just might be making less than a Walmart greeter, definitely makes less than a McDonalds manager. If the public paid a little ore for the ticket, service all around might be a little better.

 

[jbombelli]

In 2000 it took me nearly 24 hours to fly from Los Angeles to Indianapolis. This was on United.

First, the crew didn't show up at LAX for our flight (so we were told), and I had to be at work the next day, so the lady at the terminal told us there was another flight down at the other end of the airport that would get us here, but we had to beat feet to make it. We got down there and the flight had already left before she even told us about it. So we went back to our original terminal only to find that the crew did in fact show up, and the plane boarded and was already leaving. So we waited for about 6 hours for another flight, with a connection in Denver. And a long layover. Then we flew from Denver to Washington, DC with another long layover. Then we flew to Chicago, and had another long layover. Then we made it to Indianapolis, finally. I dropped my wife home and went straight to work. That was a good day.

The best part was the condescending attitude and the accusation that if we weren't late getting to the airport we would have made the original flight.

 

[the1kidd03]

But did you at least get fondled extra times by the TSA? Two by two, hands of blue!

Don't even get me started.

A couple years ago I was traveling in uniform because I would be reporting in pretty much as soon as I landed and drove to station. Those asshats still wanted me to take off half my uniform to pass through their BS.

Really?!?

 

[PistolBob]

Bob the same thing can be said about the flying public. I fly at least 2 times a month and it is always a great show to watch the traveling public. Flip flops, shorts, and a t-shirt with an obscene logo is not hard to find. Look at any ad for flying form the even the early days and you will find people wearing coats and ties. The general public expects to pay Greyhound Bus prices, the dress like that is how they are traveling, and the airlines now treat them that way.

There is plenty of professionalism in the industry. One big problem is the industry does not want to pay what it really should, but that is another debate. The next time you fly on a small regional jet, that pilot in the front right seat just might be making less than a Walmart greeter, definitely makes less than a McDonalds manager. If the public paid a little ore for the ticket, service all around might be a little better.

You hit another nail on the head. The traveling flying public is not the same people it was 25-30 years ago. It's interesting to people watch at the public airports.

 

[PistolBob]

Today if I can drive and get there in 6 hours or less, I drive. I try to NEVER fly through Chicago ever, and NEVER through or to Logan International in Boston. When I go to Boston I fly to Providence RI, rent a car and drive the rest of the way. All my business in Boston is on the far west end anyway. Newark Liberty Airport is a hell hole, but they move about a million people a week through there....it's an armpit of an airport and nothing going in or out of Newark is on time...ever.

Flew to Madison WI once, they routed me through Detroit from Indy....where the connecting flight never showed up. Ended up saying hell with it, and driving home from Detroit and going to Madison the next day, by car.

 

[indykid]

Funny (not really) to see you bashing Delta. You should have heard my daughter last week ripping Delta a new one. All but one delay was mechanical. The one that was not was because they didn't have pilots for the flight!!! REALLY! A plane load of people on a scheduled flight and no pilots???

Disclaimer, although I am a private pilot, I am a federally licensed aircraft mechanic, and I know the rules pertaining to commercial pilots and mandatory "rest" time.

With my daughter four flights were delayed, two canceled. I thought she was going to melt my internet connection she was so livid.

I have also heard from many friends flying Delta over the last few weeks, and the amount of late arrival, delayed departure or downright canceled flights due to mechanical issues makes me wonder what kind of maintenance their aircraft really get, and is the FAA really overseeing it?

 

[forgop]

I love lay people talking about aviation. If we had to adhere to the same regulations that air carriers have in getting you from Point A to Point B safely, we'd never get around anywhere in our cars on time either.

 

[Scuba591]

I'm sitting right now in the USAirways lounge at DCA waiting to return to Indy. All is peaceful and calm... Full flights... But first class has its privileges ...

 

[Tactical Dave]

The regionals are the worst..... I used to work in the nerve center of one for a few years and the stress level was so high your could see it floating around in the air.


I laugh now because said company bought an airline that was sinking faster then the titanic and could not turn it around and now nobody want to buy said sinking ship haha.


executives should have listens when the company screamed "what are you thinking" when word came out that they wanted to buy.




the airlines is like any other big company, work everyone as hard and as long as you can for the least amount of pay possible and go go go.


There is a regional airline that will sell all but a few seats on every flight so that they don't have to pay the pilots as much..... The top guy in that company is also super religious...... Go figure

 

[SaintsNSinners]

Some people still treat flying as an occassion

 

[Trigger Time]

Some people still treat flying as an occassion

An occasion to be molested