Gate agent confiscated my Biz class BP at MSP
 

I was one of the last to board at MSP when my BP was taken by the GA and I was told "they" gave away my seat. No explanation given. In a rush, a BP for a middle seat in the rear of the plane was printed and I was told to just get on the plane. GA gave only his 1st name. When she heard this, a 2nd GA turned her ID badge backwards and refused to give me any identifying info at all. (I was upset but not one of those loud, angry complainers)

I later sent an email to DL and received a canned email response quoting rules of complimentary UG's, etc. I wrote back to clarify the correct situation: The RT upgrade was confirmed the day before the flight using 25K miles. The BP was in hand with a confirmed seat. The 2nd email reply said to call CS at the # "on the back of your card".

Called CS and (after 3 attempts to get an agent) was offered $100 e-cert.

Asked to escalate and was told "we do not escalate"; asked for something elase and they said "we do not do that"; asked for explanation of the irregular op at MSP and they said "we do not do that".

At least I did not get relegated to the "black phones"

I am only Silver, so maybe that is why the poor treatment/compensation? Over at UA, it is a very different story: IFE doesn't work? Here's $200. Trouble at the gate? Here's 20% off.

When did you show up? If within 15 of the departure time the UG was lost.

I think he used miles to do the upgrade so it should be confirmed.

Use Your Camera Phone
 

Use your camera phone to take a pix of the GA. That will take care of the name tag problem.

Some NRSA probably took your seat...I just had to say it so we don't hear it later on...

There is an expectation that the UA fountain of goodies/freebies will be shut down once Jeff Smisek is running that show.

BTW, where were you going and did you get your 12.5K miles back?

David

i hope you at least got your miles back

You say you were one of the last to board, when did you board? Was your BP printed out at least 15 minutes prior? Were you int he gate area at least 15 minutes prior?

If this is the case and you used your miles, this means you paid for the class of service. Call again, write an email again, call the Post Flight Resolution at Customer Care. They can't just do that on whim if it was not a comp upgrade. Your status should not matter here

THIS kind of blatant action would infuriate me and quickly turn me into "one of those loud, angry complainers" from my normal, composed self. Talk about proactive, purposeful action to ensure no accountability for one's actions. If you are going to enforce something, stand behind it with your name. Hiding the badge makes me smell shenanigans.

Right, I should have rephrased that to be "When did you show up? If within 15 of the departure time the seat was lost."

IIRC regardless of the seat if not within 15 of departure you lose your confirmed seat and the GA probably gave it away to another PAX. As such, the paying PAX now has a choice take the flight and whatever seat is available or wait for the next flight with same class of service. If the former, then they should get their miles back (or if paid a refund).

Call 404-773-0305 and tell them you want your miles back in your account (at the least)

Yes, THAT IS THE MINIMUM DELTA CAN DO FOR YOU.
If you call the number.
Next time show up on time, and ensure you have the name and ID of the GA's or you should email all the details ...

Even if it was a confirmed free upgrade, they cannot do this on whim. However, I wonder if there was an error in the processing/granting of your upgrade originally in that it's highly unusual for a miles upgrade to clear the day before the flight as IME at that point empty FC seats are either put into V inventory (free EUA for elites in order), not G, or held for last minute FC purchases then BF upgrades at the gate. Again IME, domestic upgrades using miles tend either to be available very early at the time of ticketing or not at all; when the few domestic G inventory seats are taken, they're gone permanently from the flight most of the time, although inventory management can do anything at any time.

If you arrived at the gate too late according to the rules of your flight (international?) or failed to leave the F/G SkyClub at MSP promptly when boarding for your long-haul international flight was announced, they can take the upgrade without compensation, although I would still hope/expect that they would offer you the option of waiting for an upgrade on a later flight that day. Involuntary downgrades (except for OPUPs and NRSAs) require compensation, but I don't think it's considered the same as IDB. If you were late because of a late connecting flight, they can take away the upgrade, but compensation is owed (and they should have given you the option of an upgrade on a later flight). The amount of compensation does seem to depend on the elite level in practice, but if you paid more for a fare that could be upgraded, this should be considered. As a rough guide, 10,000 bonus miles is considered to be about the equivalent of a $100 ecredit/voucher when a choice is offered.

This is an example where OLCI and the printing of multiple boarding passes can be an advantage, to have a duplicate one for your record.

DL should know and keep a record of which gate agents were assigned to work your flight. Thus, even though MSP is a large DL station, a physical description of the agents can allow them to figure out who said what to you.

My understanding is that DL and other airlines forbid customer-facing employees to cover (or not wear) name badges, although full first and last names are not required. I would report the badge turning to DL very specifically. To me, this indicates that something was not right. If they had followed official procedures, why would they object to your knowing their names?

I hope this doesn't mean that MSP employees are becoming infected with a tendency toward shenanigans. I've always had the impression that they play by the rules here almost all of the time and generally try to be "Minnesota nice" to passengers.

I wouldn't had boarded if I wasn't getting what I paid for. But then again, I make my travel plans in a way they are not time sensitive. I would had refused to take the new BP and asked for a supervisor.

If you where at the gate 15 min prior and everything else was up to snuff like already commented then finding out why this happened to me would be just as important as getting my miles/money back, maybe even more important.

OP: During normal business hours, call 404-715-2600 and select option 8.

USAF_Pride: what/who is 404-773-0305?

I printed my Biz BP at MSP about 4 hours before scheduled departure. There was a gate change and delay, and I was at both gates 30+ min prior to scheduled boarding (1st Gate) and 1 hour prior to actual boarding (gate 2). I watched the entire boarding process from my seat at the gate. I then boarded behind the last few people in line getting on, it was not like I waited until the door was about to close and they had no way of knowing I was or wasn't going to get on.

I am sure the seat issue had something to do with the delay??

Half of the 25K miles were given back.

I did call the 404 # and spoke to just one agent who said she already was a sup and that they do not escalate, and that they would not offer anything more than the $100 cert. I asked for an UG on my next flight or a $200 voucher or a RT cert but she just said no to all of these and then concluded with something to the effect of "Do you want it or not?"

&(*^*!

I surely do not want to give them any more business. Again, I am only Silver but I expect better even from an airline.

Any passenger (cabin, paid or award, status, etc. doesn't matter) that isn't boarded after 15 minutes prior to departure is automatically taken off the flight. I'm imagining this is what happened to the OP.

I didn't read the entire thread, but if that is the case...OP, sorry, but you deserved it. If not, call DL.

I've never flown delta and after reading your post I don't think I'd ever want to.

I don't see how giving you half your miles back for something you didn't get is fair. I'd call or write again.

its probably because he did fly up front on the outbound, thus 12.5k for a 1 way upgrade.....

Since this does not seem to be the case, and the OP did call DL, I think (s)he has every right to be pissed. If I were in the boarding area the entire time and simply boarded late in the process, and then found out my seat was given away I would be mad as well.

There is no way that I can think of that this would happen without:
a) change of equipment
b) FAM
c) shenanigans

Maybe one of our DL friends can provide some insight into what may have happened?

I feel like there is something missing from the whole story.

I agree that this may be the case, but it's not at all obvious what that may be from the information we currently have. If the OP would supply us with his/her flight information, perhaps you (or other people who are able) may be willing to take a peek at what happened?

I think the gate agent knew someone most likely a friend and as soon as biz class load the OP of this thread got bumped. Not proper and not right. I hope the OP escalates this issue and does not let go.

Perhaps there was a change of gauge (different sized aircraft) and there were fewer FC seats than booked FC passengers? One of several possibilities, I suppose, but it's hard to tell without any more information.

There is no basis for that speculation based on what the OP has said.

Well, lets see here...

Coloring and bolding was done by me

So....the OP waited too long apparently.

Sooo glad I left....

And I think you are grasping at straws and have no clue what went on yet decided to speculate... :D

@OP
Shoot me a PM with the flight information and I'll get a look at what happened

The OP boarded at the end of the line. If there was still a line, it obviously was too soon for the seat to be given away.

The OP said he presented himself in the gate area well before T-15. The GA said the seat was given away. That's S word territory.

Be that as it may, if I were to be in the situation my response would be. "I made myself available in the boarding area well before the 15 cutoff. This was not a complementary upgrade. I will be happy to wait here while you remove the person from my seat."

Indicate you know the rules, you're going to stand your ground, but you'll be polite.

My two thoughts: 1) The GA hiding credentials sure makes things look suspicious, and 2) While my inclination if I were to the OP would be to demand a supervisor, I suspect that could quickly deteriorate into a GA pulling the security card and making threats as to what would happen if you didn't do as you were told. It just makes me think how it's become very difficult to demand to be treated properly as a customer in an airport these days... I've thankfully had very few incidents of mis-treatment but when it's happened, it's tricky to navigate at best.

I would assume they would page because someone might be in line.

Given the OP's comments and clarifications, I can think of no way that Delta could weasel out of not giving back the entire 25k miles at the very minimum. At the gate well before time, plane still boarding so last call most likely not even announced yet, confirmed/paid for upgrade.

Add to that the "turning around of the nametag" and things really get not pretty. That said, I'm in full support of employee safety/privacy, so no last name should be given imho. First is probably enough with the details and if not, ask for an EmployeeID.

Photograph the GA. Then board, and photograph the passenger in what had been your seat.

Use your phone, and immediately mail the photos home.

I would not suggest that.

I don't think so. If I'm happy ensconced in my seat and some random person comes wandering into the cabin, snapping MY picture, you can bet I'm going to say something, at least to the flight crew.

Not all of us are really anxious to have our pictures appear on some moron's facecrook page, probably mislabeled as "upgrade theifs" or something.

Seriously, why bother posting if you don't read the OP's initial thread? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

It would have taken less time than typing out 30 or so words.

I did read the initial post. I just didn't read however many posts there were from post #2 until my first post in this thread.

If, in fact, the story is as you told it, you always have the option of complaining to DOT. That will almost assuredly result in a higher level response, but it may not yield any compensation.

IF THE OP HAD CHECKED LUGGAGE AND REFUSED TO GET ON A SUPERVISOR WOULD HAVE TO BE CALLED AND THE LUGGAE REMOVED. THAT WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE ISSUE.
This assumes the op was at the gate by the approriate time, I think it is 15 min.

Though you were in the boarding area well before the departure time at what time before the time of departure did you actually go up to the gate and present your boarding pass??

Here is what I am wondering. What was your original seat? if a FC elise seat in row 2 or 3 your could have been FAMed into the back. (I like window seats and have never been FAMed out).

Otherwise, GA is boarding PAX and at some time at 15+ say 18+ they see the one FC seat is still open and decides close enough to remove your reservation and gives your seat away. Given their action I would say something was not kosher.

As much as I hate to sit on a plane, but given the airlines 15 minute rules and barring unforeseen circumstances if I am in F I board the damn plane cause once in the seat it is going to be harder (but not impossible) for them move me. Same in coach as I typically have an exit row and like the extra space.