bjohnsonmn

My comment to the story about this thread:
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Thanks for highlighting my post in your story. Perhaps a little background for those reading it and dismissing this as “Just one more DYKWIA” story.
Had this been just one small, isolated item, I would not have posted. I would have simply ripped it off, and threw it away. I would have been quite irritated at the attachment of something of this nature to my bag, much like the flyer left under a car window wiper (MUCH different than an add on a website, or a tray liner at your seat). But, in the larger context of the perception of bag delays, even if they were not the cause of the delay, is a reducer in perceived loyalty and service. Add on to that the disappointing moves by Delta to “increase exclusiveness” to the Medallion experience, well, you can understand why someone who largely flies their miles may be a bit more miffed than usual.
Lastly, I would like to say that I try pretty hard not to be a DYKWIA. I have a number of friends who work for Delta, Southwest, and the regional airlines. I see the treatment GA’s and FA’s get from the trolls of the sky. It makes me sick. Around the holidays, I purchase a stack of Starbucks $5 GC’s. I give them to any and EVERY FA/GA/DA/Captain or FO who I see wearing a genuine smile, or that I see go out of the way to help someone, even if it is not me. I want to at least try to show that many of us appreciate the work that they do to get us somewhere on time, and safe.
But, “Travel is a team sport” as I like to say when I lift a heavy bag into the overhead for the pax who is struggling to lift it. You know, rather than just scoff and roll my eyes at them. So yes, when I see a member of the team drop the ball, I will definitely call them out on it. But as is the case with any team, they are only a true team player if they learn, and adjust from that feedback.

bjohnsonmn

On the contract, I believe that the act of purchase binds the carrier and the passenger.

But on the last quoted comment:

I have been a VOCAL Delta Fanboy in the past. I have often said that their domestic and international products are leading in the US... Unfortunately, that has been trailing off quite a bit over the last 9 months. And, I am not necessarily referring to that which are benefits to loyalty.

1. The planes are just filthy... and no one seems to care. I recently boarded a plane and found a banana peel sitting on my seat underneath a blanket. I've also recently found apple cores under the seat in front of me, gum on my seat, and various other unpleasant things that have been reported. I wonder what changed about the August 2013 time frame.

2. Negative attitudes. I make a point to board with a big fat smile, and a "Hello! How is your day!" A genuine excitement that we are about to spit in gravety's face and soar with the birds. (Part of why I have my private license and fly locally myself). You can tell, before they announce, where everyone is based that is working the flight. I won't name bases, but some are clearly better than others. Also, the regional crews have been so much friendlier as of late, including the senior members. If the nice clerk at Chick-fil-a can have a smile, why can't you!?!?! "My Pleasure"

3. Bag delays. I rarely need to check a bag. I even purchased a specialty bag from Crew Outfitters that works in everything down to a CRJ700, specifically so that I can be quick on, and quick to my seat. So when I do check a bag... holy crap does it take a long time to get it back. How is it that other airlines get them out so much faster!?!?!

4. Seat. No, I am not going to complain about leg room. The condition of seats is growing worse and worse. Again, I am not sure what changed, but it surely appears that seats are not being maintained like they used to. They stick, they squeak, They sometimes just don't seem to be locked in straight. And, this is not just on 757-200's!

I am really trying to love Delta. I have spent a considerable amount of time over the last few years trying to make it work, taking sometimes inconvenient flights to make the Delta fare match the competition out of MSP, just to build loyalty (Isn't that the point of having a loyalty program). But aside from the fringe benefits of a the Medallion program, the quality of the core product deliverable is suffering. And it is growing harder to be the fanboy I was once picked on for being.

TrojanTraveler

While DL has made great progress in some of their hard products (e.g. flat bed installations), otherwise I sadly find them slipping all around.

hoosiereph

A colleague's recent experience makes it appear that the ads are being applied by personnel hired by American Express marketing.

He arrived in SEA last week on the midday flight from MSP. Other checked bags come out after about 35 minutes. He and a half dozen other pax are left standing around, no bags. They stand in line at the DL baggage office, file their missing bags reports.

Report filed, he gets on the bus to the rental car facility and is headed to pick up his rental car when his cell phone rings. "Mr. xxxx, we've located your bag. Please return to the baggage office to claim it."

So he picks up his car, drives it back to the terminal garage, and heads to the office where the agent has several bags set out -- all tagged with the ads. The agent told him, sheepishly, that the contract guys from AmEx marketing had mislaid them while putting the tags on.

RollsRoyceAndy

I call BS. There is no way a third party contractor is going to have control of your bags and it result in them being "mislaid".

MSPeconomist

I would wonder about the security aspects of having these folks paid by AmEx get access to secure airport areas that are off limits to passengers, including where checked bags are handled.

StayingHomeIsBetter

So, who are you accusing of lying?

Hoosiereph or the baggage agent?

sethb

What compensation did he get as a result?

I'd demand it as a matter of principle, for the purpose of getting Delta to stop letting Amex screw with my bags.

(Amex's incompetence cost me X minutes, times my highest consulting rate, you owe me $Y. I'll be glad to let this case play out in the media.)

hoosiereph

That's actually why he told me the story - to ask what compensation I thought he should ask for.

TheMoose

Delta outsources much of its below-the-wing work to "third party contractors" including, but not limited to, baggage handling.

RollsRoyceAndy

Highest probability is the agent but Hoosiereph's colleague is also in the mix, on a couple of points. All bags are scanned as they move through each part of the system. As soon as the claim was made the agent would have known if the bag had made the flight or not. If it made it then the agent would have said so, they don't want the work of processing the bag for people that leave but it is easy to blame a group that is easy to dislike to cover up their own incompetence of not really checking where the bag was first. As for the colleague they could have been at the wrong claim or went to the rental car first trying to save time and came back to find the carrousel empty and assumed the bags had not connected when in fact they were off loaded by the baggage agent.

Hoosiereph does not really have a reason to lie.

RollsRoyceAndy

Not really the same thing but that being said it is highly likely that the baggage ramp rats at SEA are DGS employees, more or less Delta employees. These handlers just move bags from the plane to the bag train to the conveyor. There is no reason for them to hand over control and even in some remote possibility that they did give the bags to another third party it is still in the best interest of DGS to get the bags on the belt.

sfgiants13

Below wing is Delta in sea. That being said, the dump area is contracted out to another company. Other aspects not related to baggage are contracted out as well.

sethb

And the half dozen other people whose bags didn't come out? Were they all at the wrong carousel? And the other bags that showed up later were what?

pragakhan

If I get one, I am just going to write F--- OFF on it and leave it on my bag.

Bad enough I already have to flip off the college interns who yell at me about free flights..


Just pull the trigger DL, make the airline an AMEX members only club.