I have a guest post from someone who needs this to be seen as soon as possible as widely as possible- particularly by the airlines! Jaha Knight had a really poor experience with Delta Airlines. Her experience might mirror one of yours or might remind you of another airline who did something similar to you or someone you know. Please read the entire post (it’s on –or was on- Jaha’s Facebook page.) (The content is exactly as Jaha Knight had featured it. I added the images!)
Jaha Knight
An Open Letter to An Airline with Horrible Customer Service and Little Investment in Just doing the Right Thing – From someone who doesn’t normally blast brands.
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What to do when you fly Delta Airlines
1. Be humble to all vest wearers, no matter their buffoonery.
2. Keep a good $500 on standby because they enjoy taking a double dip out of your bank account rather than helping their customer.
3. Be overly solicitous when they wield their magical black ‘let her on the plane’ phone.
Dear Delta Sky Club Terminal 2 – John F. Kennedy International Airport,
When someone (me) purchases a ticket from your company via whatever means they have deigned to use, you should honor that ticket. I showed up at the airport early enough to board, but you denied me access to my boarding pass, would not reschedule my ticket and basically forced me to go to another airport, buy another ticket and fly home on another airline.
The new ticket I purchased from United was a mere $100 less than what you all were asking for to book me on another flight but the way my common sense is set up, I would be a fool to pay more into a company who clearly felt no need to work out the issue but would prefer have me invest an additional $400+ in a spanking brand new ticket like I waited to book my flight that day.
I would have gladly paid United Airlines 2xs more to ride on their small plane than I would have yours. I would have paid a blind camel 2xs more to sit between his humps and ride across the eastern seaboard through nefarious elements and wooded rapescapes than to pay you all another dry cent. You know why? Because the level of service you provide for the people who power your business is the most horrible farce I have ever seen outside of @Hotwire, the company I purchased the ticket from.
And as disgusted as I am with Hotwire – who flat out said; “Hey girl…yeah no we aren’t giving you any money back or rebooking your flight,” which is what I expected because they are a ticket broker, not the actual airline–they were polite about it and professional as well. But your company, Delta Terminal – John F. Kennedy International Airport? You all could have fixed the problem that you created; I even offered to fly standby–because after all, I had already paid you.
What stood out to me in this situation were two things:
1. Nothing on the ticket said, “Be here an hour before takeoff because a mere 30 minutes, just won’t cut it.” It’s general rule of thumb to get to the airport early and I did follow that–just didn’t get there an hour ahead. Also there were people BEHIND ME in the SECOND line you all vaguely pointed me to after letting me stand behind a TRAIL of other people to see if I could board– whose planes were taking off with mere MINUTES to spare –and you rushed them through. Hmmm..curious.
2. Your company’s extreme lack of empathy and the outrageously bold statement made by one of your managers (or whomever he was with his shiny little vest) after being ridiculously rude and smart mouthed…and really expecting me not to respond–taking his authority to the head by telling the young lady that was working on the situation, that he didn’t care what resolution could be reached, to make me pay to change my flight. When you refuse to let people make you feel small, they are ofttimes intimidated.
So yeah…clearly I should continue to invest in a company whose staff has had the UTMOST customer sensitivity training. Clearly, I should plunk down more money for those continuing education courses you provide to vest wearers and other staff.
However, a mere 19 hours later, I landed in Atlanta after arriving JFK Airport 30 minutes prior to 6:20 am for a flight from NYC on Delta that ended up being a 5:30 pm flight from LaGuardia Airport with connections on United Airlines.
I was ABSOLUTELY thrilled to arrive home grumpy, rumpled and exhausted only to awake bleary eyed and eager to begin a fresh new day of work. HOORAY!
If you read my social media streams, I am the most private of people, to say that I am a blogger and a podcaster. If I have an issue, I tweet brands; they usually resolve the problem and I maintain my relationship with that brand. And me contacting a brand that way is rare. But today, I am putting it on Facebook.
If your eyes have wandered across this post, feel free to share, my friends. Because as I stood there, frustrated and upset that I could not get home to my child, this crass Delta employee was unrepentant and mean; disrespectful and belligerent. Saying WAY more nasty things to me that I even put down in this post.
And quite frankly, I don’t care if I ever ride on another Delta Airlines plane as long as I live; matter-of-fact, God could speak a word to your CEO, tell you to build an Uber Plane because the world would be ending in flame; your CEO would be tasked with gathering two of many species to repopulate the earth and I could be ONE of the chosen; if I were to see a Delta logo on the side of the plane, humanity would be doomed. I refuse to board.
Your company is garbage. You don’t care about your customers or the inconvenience you place them in. I was in an untenable position and your vest wearer pretty much laughed in my face. That was great. Out-frigging-standing. A service business that does not value their customer. I guess my paltry little ticket that I worked hard to pay for went towards some executive’s golf membership because it sure didn’t get me home on Sunday. Thanks Virtual United Airlines; your plane may not have had humps but I arrived in Atlanta safely. Much appreciated, feel free to use this as a testimonial.
Forever a Non- Delta Sky Club Terminal 3 South – John F. Kennedy International Airport or ANY of the airports Passenger,
Jaha Knight
Find Jaha Knight on these social media platforms.
www.jahaknight.com
http://soulphisticatedladieshq.com/
https://www.facebook.com/soulphisticatedlady
https://twitter.com/jaha_knight
Soulphisticated Ladies on Google Plus
Thank you to Jaha Knight for this very illuminating post about Delta Airlines. What do you think about this?
Would you want to be bumped from your paid seat because the airline chose to do it?
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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Man, I hate it when airlines royally mess up, SO annoying!
I hear that Jess. It’s more than annoying when you are paying through the nose for it and you have to make connections or have hotel reservations at stake!
Thanks so much for this, Stevie. I truly appreciate it!
glad to share it Jaha Knight. Your plight and events deserved to get attention!! Keep us posted if you hear anything from Delta!
Bumping is really poor…once a seat is paid for, it should be kept!
I was a travel agent for many years when service was excellent..those days are over. It is scary to fly and try to make your way through the service jungle today…it fully sucks