Dear Delta:

Please accept this feedback on communication issues with DL in the United Kingdom. I was attending a meeting in the U.K. a few days ago and as the conference started I learned that my wife was admitted to a hospital in the U.S.. She was to have met me at LHR for a U.K. vacation on the morning of July 9 on a reward ticket using my SkyMiles. My hotel gave me the DL reservations number in the U.K.; I was shocked that it was not toll-free, or “free phone” I the U.K. Using my only British cash in a pay phone someone eventually answered. I asked to have my wife’s reservation cancelled and the miles returned to my account. She said she could not do that. That would need to be done by the SkyMiles desk to which she could not transfer me; she gave me the number but there was no answer. I was out of British cash money by then.

I immediately left via van and arrived at LHR Terminal 4 at 6:30 p.m. on July 8and immediately went to the Delta/SkyTeam desk. There was a sign telling DL customers to call the same unhelpful number I called earlier. I went to the SkyTeam desk, “Sorry I cannot help, I work for Air France.” “Sorry I cannot help, I work for Korean Air.” So much for the SkyTeam partnership! At great expense I, out of desperation, called the U.S. Diamond Medallion desk on my U.S. cell phone and was helped in two ways. My wife’s reservations were cancelled and miles placed in my account; my reservation was changed. I returned home last night.

The next morning, July 9, I spoke with the DL supervisor at LHR and she was helpful but seemed unaware of the lack of toll-free assistance in the U.K. She was genuinely concerned that neither AF or KE would help me, or anyone else for that matter.

The U.K. is a big DL market now with lots of flights, especially via LHR. Delta, you really must offer customers a toll-free number there.