beachmouse

She got coded as an IRROPS-MX in the system, and it was one of those times when that made the computer throw her into any available seat regardless of class, standby or not?

MSPeconomist

I don't know about whether floor sleeping is or should be allowed. I've seen little kids doing in and I once saw some guy in business class do it TPAC on an aircraft that just had new seats installed that were so uncomfortable that he understandably decided that the floor would be better. On that flight, the purser took a picture and said she was going to send it to the company to prove what passengers thought of the new seats.

However, it was the person's decision to sleep on the floor rather than in an EC seat. This absolutely should not give her any priority for an upgrade, nor should her year doing missionary work, etc. In fact, if these things mattered for upgrades, we would suddenly see lots of floor sleeping with selfies taken to show to the next GA and the honeymoon excuse to beg for a free upgrade would be replaced by a statement (lie) that the person was doing missionary work.

merlin3008

I don't have a problem with her getting the upgrade. If I recall correctly, passengers experiencing travel disruptions do get priority on the upgrade list. From the sounds of the story, Delta mishandled the arriving flights bags causing her to miss her connections and delaying her trip. As far as I'm concerned, giving her a one-hour flight in first class is little compensation for hours and hours of lost time.

mattp1987

I completely agree with what both of you are saying. Clearly the upgrade should have gone to a medallion, and in this case a DM. However, with aircraft loaded and ready to push, delaying the aircraft for 20 minutes is a ridiculous DYKWIA move. I'm rather surprised the pilot and/or GA didn't get involved and warn him to stop that behavior or he would be removed from the flight. This, of course, requires follow-through if he doesn't heed the warning.

Bicostal

Technically the DM gave her the compensation, DYKWIA behavior aside.

GatorBlues

The DM didn't delay the flight. Delta did. There were two simple and polite responses that Delta could have given the DM:

1. We checked the list and made an error. We are swapping the FC passenger who mistakenly got the upgrade with the highest priority medallion (which may or may not have been him).

2. We have confirmed that our procedures were followed correctly. You are welcome to take the matter up with customer care.

Either approach would have taken all of 5 minutes or less. It was the indecision that led to a 20 minute delay. And, assuming an improper upgrade was given, that too contributed to the issue. But the complaining passenger, although perhaps rude depending on how he was voicing his concerns, does not have the power to delay the flight. If Delta is going to stand by the upgrade decision, do so quickly and tell the DM to take his seat. Nothing can be gained by debating with him endlessly. If he refuses to take his seat, then remove him from the aircraft. If he refuses to take his seat, THEN the delay is his fault. Engaging in a debate with him while time ticks by is Delta's fault.

GRALISTAIR

Hear, hear +1 million ^

swanscn

I started reading this thread a few days ago thinking it could be amusing, I started from the back and have been going towards the beginning. And yes I have been amused, and many of these stories I can relate to. But one thing I was certain of is that in 40 years of travel I have not been this guy.
But around page 160 or so I realized that I have probably been this type of guy once or twice (no too much more than that). So here is my confession to being a DYKWIA (reformed). Traveling many years ago Stockholm to Philadelphia near Christmas overnighting in Amsterdam, I was mugged at the airport. The group of thieves got my briefcase and items form others waiting for the hotel shuttle bus (a large number ran into our group knocked a few of us down grabbed what they could and disappeared into the parking garage). My passport was in my suit coat pocket as was my ticket (I did say it was a long time ago), but my upgrade instrument was in my briefcase. The next day I filled a police report and then went to check in. When asked for my upgrade instrument (this is my moment), I handed over the police report and stated here is my D*** instrument. It actually worked.

mattp1987

The DM did delay the flight to some extent; the FAA does not permit the aircraft door to be closed and, by extension, the aircraft to push back from the gate while passengers are using cell phones. As I said, the captain and/or gate agent should have told him to shut up and keep his seat or he would be removed. However, it would still take time for the DL employees to call law enforcement, for law enforcement to arrive, and for the passenger to be removed. I don't see any scenario where this passenger's actions don't delay the flight.

All that said, I'm surprised it played out the way it did and that the FAs let him get his way for throwing a tantrum. I wonder who the passenger was who ended up giving up the F seat.

Flyertall

The DM "gave" her the compensation?

While trying to figure this out on my own, I asked (and answered) the following questions:

Who owns the plane? - Delta.
Who owns the seats? - Delta.
Who assigns the seats? - Delta.
Who assigns the upgrades? - Delta.
On what basis are FC upgrades GIVEN to DMs? - Space Available.
On what basis can a DM be GUARANTEED an FC seat? - Book it.

What am I not getting? - (Please answer here, or correct any answers above)

I don't think that lady deserved a special seat because she slept on the floor. I think she was deserving of a special seat because she was displaced from an otherwise timely and "legal" connection, due to an operations snafu that delayed her clearing customs on time.

It is my understanding that Delta has, and judiciously exercises, the discretion to "compensate" severely inconvenienced passengers with goodwill gestures, on a case by case basis, informed by the present circumstances.

In this circumstance, the front row of an EC section for a 60 minute flight is not exactly a gross inconvenience to a DM. Delaying a plane load of other people by 20 minutes? And for what? A banana and a bag of chips? Talk about a DICKWIA... I think Delta should note and demote status for that kind of disruptive behavior.

In the case of the lady, Delta may have turned a lifelong enemy (blogging on every missionary site she shares her experiences on) into a lifelong customer... just for giving her that one hour gesture of mea culpa, by compensating her severe delay with a small delight that she can talk about instead.

That DM's complete self absorption is yet one more data point, as numerous as the sand in the sea, that "status" gets to people's heads. If he really had that much status, wouldn't he be minding his own business in a private jet, instead of nosing around at what everyone else is getting besides him?

----

Edit: (While I was writing the foregoing, more posts came in that clarified that the DM didn't directly delay the flight, but indirectly did. Notwithstanding, it was not until another FC pax gave up his FC seat, so that the DYKWIA DM would end his whining calls, did the flight proceed. Had that other pax not given up his FC seat, how long would the stand off endured?)

sethb

I agree with the first paragraph (speaking as a DM who often gets medallion upgrades and won't do more than whine here about missing one, or writing in to Delta in the case of actual Shena).

I say the whiner did delay the flight by his actions; it was his choice to whine and not allow the flight to proceed.

HongKonger

That is awesome.

HongKonger

Not to mention that I have witnessed people actually smoking regular old traditional cigarettes in airplane lavs without setting off the detectors.

WestSideBilly

This is not correct. Both types of smoke detectors can and will detect water vapor if it enters the detector in sufficient quantity. The tools used to test smoke detectors are creating a fog in the same way a fog machine at a nightclub does, and they will definitely set off smoke detectors. If you want to try out your luck, boil a pot of water and hold it under your detector.

Now, the sufficient quantity part is an issue. Unless the smoker is blowing the ecig directly into the smoke alarm, I don't see it creating enough vapor to trigger the smoke detector. The same is true of smoking a cigarette in the lav. There's just not that much smoke/vapor being created.

Also, I was under the impression the lavatory smoke detectors aren't looped into the cockpit. It's just horn like in most household detectors. Maybe this is different for different airplane make/models.

GRALISTAIR

Respiration is C6H12O6 + 6O2 ---> 6CO2 + 6H20 + energy

So just breathing produces water vapor - hope they don't set the detection limit too low. ^