Delta sucks

Recently I made the huge mistake of flying Delta.  Usually I do not have a preference in carrier, as they as treat you the same,.. like dirt.   So when I go to the airport, I have pretty low expectations and sally have no complaints

However my latest experience was pretty pitiful.  On the first leg of my trip, my flight was delayed >3hrs.  This made me mad, but wasn’t such a big deal since they posted it earlier.  What made it ridiculous was that the plane had no problems, it sat in NOLA all night.  The flight was three hours late because delta could not find a flight crew (pilot was there, the flight attendants were not)!  How do you schedule a flight for months and not have a flight crew?  Maybe a preceding flight was delayed and they could not make it, but in this case how do you not have 2 people in a major city that can toss some peanuts?  I tried to get on earlier flights, but I guess others beat me to it,.. anyways I got to my destination 3 hrs late.

But this is nothing compared to the way back.  When I tried to check into the returning leg, the online check in gave me a seat voucher.  I found this disturbing since I bought a guaranteed ticket, so I called the Delta customer service.  And the outsourced Haitian or Puerto Rican explains that there is 1 seat left on the plane and she will reserve it for me.  No problem.  However, when I get to the airport the next day to check in, I no longer have the seat that was promised to me and I was assigned another voucher.  I go up to the desk and ask what the seat voucher means, and they tell me it is standby!  I politely inquired how I could have a standby ticket for a full priced guaranteed ticket?  They didn’t know.  I ask what happened to seat 22B, which I was assigned over the phone?  They didn’t know and someone else was assigned to it now!  So, I ask how many people have voucher and will we all get seats, and I was told no the plan was overbooked.  I proceed to ask how I can get a guaranteed ticket?  And I am told the only way to ensure a ticket is pay $50 to get on an earlier/later flight.  Needless to say I was flabbergasted that I was screwed out of my seat and now I am being told I have to pay more to get a seat.

Needing to get back to NOLA and being stuck with a lottery or being extorted to get a seat, I relented and paid the $50.  I am getting what little justice I can by bitching about it here and to report the incident to the BBB

*sigh*  Don’t fly Delta