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A disappointing experience - or a reflection of how things are?

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A disappointing experience - or a reflection of how things are?

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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 12:47 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by VVF
...I am at a loss that I have to defend my actions in this situation ...
Don't you know the posting rule?

1. Blame/doubt/grill/question OP
2. ....
3. ....


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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 12:53 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by VVF
Thank you, very much!

I am at a loss that I have to defend my actions in this situation ...
It is because there are a lot of these deals on this site and most of them are missing a few facts, but the tone says it more than anything... at least for me...

I will add that I do not think this is a very recent change in how Delta does things... I think it more has to do with who you get and when and on what flight...

I will also add that on FT, anything that has to do with kids or cross class crossings in BE will have 50% against you from the start... keep in mind that some folks think all kids are horrible and Diamonds in coach walking up to BE is a DYKWIA move... not that this is true... but as my Cousin Peter Frampton Hudson once said, "if you swim in salt water and don't like the taste of salt water, keep your mouth closed..."

He died in a tragic hampster accident in the 80s, but he was wise for his years...
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 12:54 pm
  #33  
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Originally Posted by ConciergeBrandon
Don't you know the posting rule?

1. Blame/doubt/grill/question OP
2. ....
3. ....


I am learning ... Should not have posted. That would be the most important lesson I learned.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 12:58 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Thomas Hudson
but as my Cousin Peter Frampton Hudson once said, "if you swim in salt water and don't like the taste of salt water, keep your mouth closed..."
Thanks!

and so I shall!
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 12:58 pm
  #35  
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Originally Posted by VVF
You are correct, it is a calculated risk. The point is that I did not ask for any special accommodations. The purser's actions (or lack thereof as far as her direct responsibilities go) and comments were preemptive, unprovoked, and plain nasty. She escalated the situation, I have not, whereas she could have easily defused it and made everyone's life easier by simply not going on a power trip.
You did ask for special accommodations, when you wanted to be walk into BE for various reasons.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 1:16 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by Thomas Hudson
...I will also add that on FT, anything that has to do with kids or cross class crossings in BE will have 50% against you from the start...
And it rapidly goes up to approximately 85% on page 3

keep in mind that some folks think all kids are horrible and Diamonds in coach walking up to BE is a DYKWIA move...
Only other people's kids and other DYKWIA Diamonds.

... my Cousin Peter Frampton Hudson.... He died in a tragic hampster accident in the 80s...
I heard it was a gerbil and he survived. Your cousin, id est.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 1:16 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by ConciergeBrandon
^

OP, I sympathize with you.

I do NOT fly Delta or U.S. airlines to Asia. Have you and your family been on Cathay, or Singapore which I fly regularly, your experience would have been impressive and memorable in a very good way.
+1. I had a situation on SQ where I was in J and someone traveling with my group, but in Y, ended up unexpectedly having to come up several times. The FAs were sympathetic to the situation and as there was a block of empty seats in J even let the two of us sit there while we resolved the situation. After it was resolved the person in my group went back to Y and that was that. We didn't take advantage and only did this due to the circumstances which we explained to the FA.

SQ rules. Too bad they're not convenient for most of my flying, not to mention expensive.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 1:18 pm
  #38  
 
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Arrow Life happens. Move on.

Originally Posted by VVF
I wanted to share a recent experience I had on a Delta T-Pac flight (HND-LAX). The route-specific issues have been addressed in a dedicated thread, so here I would only like to mention my observations that are, in my opinion, reflective of the changes in the service and culture that are happening at Delta. Several aspects of the service were very disappointing. Perhaps those things are becoming a norm nowadays. However, to me, they are alarming indicators of declining quality of Deltas in-flight experience despite its claims of the $MM improvements and the emphasis on the customer care. To put this experience in context, I am a seasoned flyer who has been with Delta for 18+ years, 1MM+, so it takes a lot to surprise me or make me complain.

Reader, beware this is a long post. Sorry. Stop now if you do not want to spend the time. I just re-read it, and it seems like a diabolically improbable plot for a mediocre sitcom. I hesitated to post it, it is kind of painful to describe and feels surreal and ridiculous.

This time, I was traveling with my wife and 2 children, 2 award seats in BE and 2 paid EC seats. The load on this flight in BE was very light: only 3 paying pax in the second cabin, and ca. half-full front one. Relatively full Y. The original plan was to have the 2 yo son and me in the EC seats, while my wife and daughter would be in BE (in 5 AB, they would be separated by only 3 rows from us in the EC). It was a night flight (a 12:30 am departure), so everyone could sleep anyway, or so we thought.

After boarding, I sat my daughter in the EC, and as I was helping my wife to settle in 5AB, I overheard the person in 5C introducing himself to the purser as an NRSA, giving her a small Japanese present, talking about his aunt who is an LAX-based FA, ex-NWA, and it turned out that our purser worked for NWA for many years. The purser was touched, said that she knew from the manifest that both 5C and 5G were NRSAs, and that we value our NRSA passengers as premium customers and are glad to have you on board, a verbatim quote. The non-rev in 5G was a DL FA. Both were very pleasant people. The fact that they were valued more than the remaining 3 paying passengers in that cabin became pretty evident right away: the non-revs were immediately given the menus, were served pre-departure drinks, their meal orders were taken, their coats were placed in the closet, all while we were still seating without any of that and with our coats in the seats. Nobody addressed anyone by name at any time either, nobody thanked us for flying Delta, nada (in my experience, pursers usually make at least a greeting and a good bye rounds in BE; the good ones would even come to coach to acknowledge DMs, if not too many of them are on board).

Drinks and menus were still nowhere in sight, whereas our neighbors to the right were offered a second round of PDB. Not the end of the world, but lets call it amusing. The 2 yo was for some reason fussing instead of falling asleep as he normally does, needed to be changed (he ended up in our arms for most of the flight), so I went to an FA to give her our coats and was then helping my wife with changing, moving the bags to the overhead bins, unpacking the blankets/pillows, etc.

The purser showed up no, not with drinks or menus, and not to welcome us or greet us by name but to tell me that I could not be in the Business cabin. Mind you, we were still on the ground, with the door open, I was on my knees in the bulkhead well out of everyones way attending to our son, with the total of 5 people in the business cabin 2 of them NRSAs, and one paying pax seating on the opposite side from us. I went back three rows where my daughter was almost ready to fall asleep, but she left her backpack with her favorite toy upfront. Went to get it only to be greeted by the purser who reminded me, politely but firmly, almost in a hostile way, that you paid for two seats, and thats what you get, and I hope you know Deltas policy that you cannot go beyond the curtain and disturb the premium passengers, and if you needed anything, you should use the call button and I would get your wife. Her condescending and patronizing tone was appalling, but I took the high road and did not respond in kind. I should have, right there and then; it would have made things easier in the future. I only reminded her that my wife still was not offered anything to drink and was not given a menu. So, what does she want? I suggested she asked my wife directly.

Shortly after the take off, my daughter suddenly woke up and was about to throw up. She never gets airsick, so both kids must have eaten something disagreeable or were just tired from a long trip that day. A bag, a quick cleanup and, as instructed, a call for an FA to get my wife so we could change my daughters shirt. An FA from the back of the coach cabin came up and was very surprised and irritated by my request and told me to go and get my wife myself. I explained to her that the purser instructed me to do it this way, and that I was not allowed to visit them in the Business cabin, ridiculous as it was. She got my wife, I gave my daughter some meds, changed her, things were improving, and she fell asleep again. I decided that I could quickly finish a photo project from the trip and pulled out the laptop only to find that both power outlets in our row were dead. Asked the purser to reset our seats, she did that, but nothing changed (well, this time the entertainment systems died too, but the screens remained brightly lit). The FA called the purser again, who offered to move us to different seats (not together), and in the middle row. Obviously, could not work for us, especially with a sick child. There isnt anything else I can do and walked away. I covered the screens with bent safety cards to block the light.

I worked until the laptop battery died, and then very politely and apologetically could you please do me a favor again asked the FA to ask my wife to come to my seat. The response was priceless: I am in the middle of the service and cannot do it every time you need her (that was only the second time, by the way). It was like a bad Stephen Kings movie or a benzo dream my wife was mere 5-6 feet away, but I could not get to her because by doing so I could disturb the two premium passengers in the BE cabin. I should have just walked in, but did not want to antagonize the purser. We still had good 5-6 hours to go. I went back to the galley in about 30 minutes, the FA was just sitting there, and I asked whether she finished the service and could now get my wife for me. Oh, no, I will only finish it in Los Angeles, but will get her when I have a moment. I just shook my head.

We ended up switching seats with my wife a few hours into the flight so she could get some rest as our son would only sleep in our arms (ironically, the 2nd seat in BE for which we paid was empty 90% of the flight). A different shift of FAs must have been working the cabin then, and the FA who was serving me was great nice, attentive, professional (perhaps apologetic for her colleagues behavior? Not sure).

To add a twist to the story, all of a sudden there was an announcement as we were pretty much in the middle of the North Pacific: medical help was needed in the last row of the economy cabin. I wanted to retract my head like a turtle into its shell, hoping that there would be someone else on board who could help. Got up, looked back, but nobody was walking there. Put my son in the seat, went to the back. Not sure how to describe the pursers facial expression: you again? or hell, no, not you! or something like that. She quickly regained her composure realizing why I was there. I asked what was going on and how I could help. Fortunately, the situation was not very serious, took the vitals and checked the meds that the person was taking. The pax who did not feel well, the FAs, and the purser were appreciative and grateful. Went back, checked on my wife and daughter, both were sleeping, the screens were still glowing brightly, but the make-shift covers were holding up OK. My son was asleep in the seat next to me in the pretty much empty BE cabin (incidentally, ex-NWA BE seats are very inconvenient for children constantly sliding down and getting caught by the seat belt at the neck; made a usual contraption of two pillows to stop him from sliding down), and I was finally hoping to eat and get a couple of hours of sleep. Asked for my pre-ordered Japanese dinner, some wine, which was surprisingly fine, and was treated very well by the FA working my cabin.

The purser stopped by at some point to thank me and offered a voucher (or miles?) in appreciation of my help. I declined, as I did not want any compensation for a service that I did not really provide, but she insisted saying that it was not a payment but rather a token of appreciation from the airline. Asked me for my Diamond card, put it through what looked like a credit card machine, and out came two pieces of paper with absolutely unreadable text, except for the Delta logo. I am sure she told me what they were, but my mind was elsewhere, and I had no idea what I got. It did not really matter. All of a sudden I felt crushed and exhausted even though the previous day was spectacularly pleasant and relaxing. There is a barely readable 15 on the paper, so maybe I got 1500 or 15000, or xxx miles? Well see. I also asked for the full name and the card of the purser, which she gave me after I repeated my request.

The rest of the flight was relatively uneventful, except for my daughter throwing up again just as we were about to begin the descent. Would have made our life much easier to have her and my wife with us for the last 15-20 minutes so we could change and regroup, but I did not even want to ask. Although the flight arrived at T5 at LAX, we needed to be transferred to TBIT by bus and were the last people to leave the plane needed to change our son, wash up our daughter, and get our stuff together. Were riding on the same bus with pilots and FAs, and I could barely resist the urge to come to the purser and the "perpetually busy for all 10+ hours coach FA to tell them about their accomplishments on this flight. They were laughing and joking happily completely oblivious of the damage they caused.

My daughter was so excited when I gave her my Diamond luggage tag recently; she put it on her suitcase with such a pride after I explained to her that it was to recognize those who spend a lot of time in the air and therefore know how to behave on the plane. And I would never forget a look in her eyes when she was told that she could not use the nearest BE lav to clean up and was not allowed to go beyond the curtain to her mother.

I have flown on many different airlines in many countries, and kids get children kits, backpacks, crayons, special meals, etc. to keep them occupied and entertained. I know that DL does not do that, so I did not expect any of it, but to purposefully complicate a trip of a family just to exercise authority in the confines of a metal tube is despicable. I am not sure what satisfaction the purser got from it and what was going on through her mind when she got on her high horse, but it was perverted. I looked her up, and she is indeed a NWA veteran, with years of experience, and very active in the Flight Attendants Union.

My wife, who does not fly very often but enough to experience different airlines on different continents, was shocked by the treatment we received. She thought that kids would get something special (I remember my daughter being invited to the cockpit while the plane was on the ground), especially being in business class, and that being a DM, I might get some consideration given our situation. She asked me if I knew who the VIPs in the seats to the right were, and I had to explain what being an NRSA meant. It was embarrassing.

Sure, I understand the rules I usually fly upfront and also dont like to be disturbed by people walking back and forth into the BE cabin from coach when I am sleeping, but in this case the cabin was empty! There wasnt anyone to be disturbed there except for my own family. And the circumstances were not ordinary either, and it was very obvious. Any reasonable FA would offer help seeing that something was not right with two kids. Professionalism aside, compassion would be a natural human response; at least trying not to aggravate the situation further! In this case, the lead FA showed no sympathy, was blatantly disregarding simple requests of two paying BE passengers, and was in general spiteful, for no apparent reason. There is no excuse for such behavior. I have taken hundreds of flights on Delta, and I have never experienced anything like that before, but I also have never been in a similar predicament. I guess, formally speaking, the purser acted by the book, but to what end? I often read here about Deltas drive to protect their premium product, but it looks like the purser was protecting the two passengers in that cabin who were riding for free and harassing the two who were paying their way.

Was this an isolated incident or is it a reflection of the decline in the corporate culture at Delta? I always drew a line between corporate management and the front line employees, who have generally been very professional and kind. I may have been wrong, for it seems that the rotten attitude from the changes in the SkyMiles program, the devaluation of the miles, the decline in the quality of the meals, all accompanied by the ever increasing prices is trickling down to the trenches. We must be really nothing more than sheeple to be fleeced, as Deltas $$ bottom line is doing well.

The most painful thing will be explaining to my daughter why she should remove the Diamond tag from her lovely suitcase.
Sounds like you were having a bad day and bad luck. Delta did nothing wrong here, you should just shrug this off and move on. It could happen on any US carrier. Cheers.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 1:18 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by VVF
I am learning ... Should not have posted. That would be the most important lesson I learned.
No--you did the right thing in posting. You clearly got something off your chest, and you should consider at least some of the feedback helpful in helping you to craft a second draft that can be sent to Delta. I think you've raised some important issues about the service quality you experienced on the flight that Delta should be made aware of. However, given the nature of this board (and most others on FT) you can't expect a 100% sympathetic response.

I echo some of the other posters here in that it feels you experienced a combination of crappy service and a crappy flight. Both were a result of things beyond your control (surly FA's and puking kid). You handled it the best you could. Some flights just kinda suck.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 1:55 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by uhclem
. . . . .However, given the nature of this board (and most others on FT) you can't expect a 100% sympathetic response.
. . . . . Which is good, right? That's what makes FlyerTalk interesting! Most posters get P.O.'d when people jump all over them, but I always enjoy hearing someone else's point of view, no matter how crazy it may be - - - - -

<even though I'm always right! >

Last edited by davetravels; Apr 4, 2012 at 2:16 pm
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 2:23 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by HongKonger
BTW to those who don't like kids in BE: I bring mine, I pay for it, and I know how to keep them from disrupting you. If you don't like it, fly an airline that doesn't allow it, if there is one (Virgin?).
For the record, I don't advocate rules which would prohibit children in F or J. I do, however, see many parents who don't know how to control their children and they think that everyone thinks their kids are as wonderful as they do.

As long as the children are seen and not heard, and do not make a noise, I am fine with it.. Note- this goes for adults too. (Adults can be just as/more annoying, I am aware...) my experience is that children, however, are much less behaved than their doting parents would proclaim.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 2:51 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by ConciergeBrandon
Don't you know the posting rule?

1. Blame/doubt/grill/question OP
2. ....
3. ....


This is not the first time where FTers get accused of grilling, blaming, doubting, etc., and I am sick of it. What are we expected to do...always blindly accept what any OP says and not ask questions? Another way to look at it is to simply think of this forum as consisting of one big jury that sifts through the statements of an OP, and then decides what we think is plausible under the circumstances. Sometimes we may agree with an OP, and sometimes we may not. But it seems like lately some folks here take disagreement with an OP as being somehow inappropriate. This would not be a very helpful forum if all we did was pat any OP on the back when a post containing a complaint was made, and tell the OP that DL is always wrong. Sometimes DL is wrong, sometimes DL is right. Sometimes it's 50/50 or some other percentage of right and wrong. But the members here have the right to decide if they agree or disagree with an OP, and quite frankly I feel it's just too bad if someone here takes disagreement with an OP as somehow being mean-spirited. This isn't one big slap each other on the back, cry on each other's shoulder, place. And I apply this line of reasoning to myself as well. Sometimes we need someone else to tell us we are off base in our line of thought. I like to think I am person enough to consider someone else's viewpoint here, even if it is different from mine. Apparently others here aren't.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 3:02 pm
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by VVF
Thank you, very much!

I am at a loss that I have to defend my actions in this situation ...
Why are you at a loss? Did you expect everyone here would be in 100% agreement with your post? It's nothing personal if some folks here disagree with you. You seem to have difficulty accepting that some people here have a different viewpoint than yours, and that is your problem, and not the fault of those who disagree with you. It's a fact of life that if you post in any public forum such as this, that you subject yourself to a variety of responses to whatever you post. And you may not like some of the responses. Such is life. I sometimes disagree with some of the people here, but I have hung around 7 years and what I have learned in this place has been pretty cool. I don't regret it at all.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 3:03 pm
  #44  
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Originally Posted by waltinsocal
This is not the first time where FTers get accused of grilling, blaming, doubting, etc., and I am sick of it. What are we expected to do...always blindly accept what any OP says and not ask questions? Another way to look at it is to simply think of this forum as consisting of one big jury that sifts through the statements of an OP, and then decides what we think is plausible under the circumstances. Sometimes we may agree with an OP, and sometimes we may not. But it seems like lately some folks here take disagreement with an OP as being somehow inappropriate. This would not be a very helpful forum if all we did was pat any OP on the back when a post containing a complaint was made, and tell the OP that DL is always wrong. Sometimes DL is wrong, sometimes DL is right. Sometimes it's 50/50 or some other percentage of right and wrong. But the members here have the right to decide if they agree or disagree with an OP, and quite frankly I feel it's just too bad if someone here takes disagreement with an OP as somehow being mean-spirited. This isn't one big slap each other on the back, cry on each other's shoulder, place. And I apply this line of reasoning to myself as well. Sometimes we need someone else to tell us we are off base in our line of thought. I like to think I am person enough to consider someone else's viewpoint here, even if it is different from mine. Apparently others here aren't.
There are civilized and tactful ways to disagree and argue your position, and then there are spit-throwing finger-pointing groundless accusations such as the one you "plus oned." You know very well the difference between the two, don't you?

Everyone here most certainly has every right to question and decide on their own, but I doubt that you behave in real life as you do behind the cloak of anonymity here. So, I question your integrity.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 3:08 pm
  #45  
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Originally Posted by waltinsocal
Why are you at a loss? Did you expect everyone here would be in 100% agreement with your post? It's nothing personal if some folks here disagree with you. You seem to have difficulty accepting that some people here have a different viewpoint than yours, and that is your problem, and not the fault of those who disagree with you. It's a fact of life that if you post in any public forum such as this, that you subject yourself to a variety of responses to whatever you post. And you may not like some of the responses. Such is life. I sometimes disagree with some of the people here, but I have hung around 7 years and what I have learned in this place has been pretty cool. I don't regret it at all.
No, I did not expect everyone to agree. I did not expect accusations and personal attacks either though.

And no, I have no difficulties accepting different viewpoints and different facts of life, no matter how hard they are. I do have difficulty accepting hypocrisy, finger pointing, and groundless accusations.

see #44 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18335865-post44.html
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