Well, just got done posting a long, irate letter to Delta. The kicker to the whole trip to Portland was that, when I got there at 1 am PST (4 am EST--my time), i searched around for my luggage for about a half hour, no one left in the airport it seemed, no Delta employee around. Finally one shows up, with me and no one else left in the airport, and I try to give her a missing baggage report, when she says, "Doug Johnson--I think your luggage came in on the earlier flight!" And, so it had.
Now, when I had checked with the gate agent getting off the flight in Cincinatti, she had INSISTED that the earlier flight to Portland had already taken off. I noted that it showed on the board as delayed, but she said it was already gone.
Obviously, my luggage did not magically fly into the air and catch a plane which had already taken off.
I think what really happened is that they had so many passengers delayed by other flights' weather delays that they needed the space on my flight, and knocked me off.
Therefore, I have written Delta, and requested compensation that I would have received if I had been asked to voluntarily bump--i.e., a free ticket. I was one pissed-off traveler when I got to my hotel in Portland at 2 am PST (5 am EST).
Of course, I will let you all know what happens. Let's hope Delta makes good on this. I certainly think I deserve compensation here.