dmarge18

When dealing with a family emergency this past week (mid-work trip), DL was fantastic in helping coordinate an early return and 'extended layover' to visit/take care of family. They really want above and the agent did everything in his power to minimize the cost for me. Just a reminder with all the complaints out there that DL agents are still some of the best, and while it's still a business and we like to gripe, they help (sure, status probably helps) better than the others when we need it most!

davetravels

^ Agreeeeeeeeeed!!!!! ^

comptr

Yes I would agree a 100%. I also had a family emergency a family member had to be in the hospital and we needed to change our tickets for the end of the month and Delta really helped. They switched the tickets to a latter flight and the cost for the switch was not much. Thanks to Delta helping us out we are able to make this trip now.

ATOBTTR

When some people talk about whether it's worth it to chase/keep status, some are of the opinion that you can get all or nearly all of the same perks by simply buying first class. But this right here is why I keep status - one of the best perks is the "Favors and Waivers" that status gets you that just buying FC tickets doesn't.

Ryno1234

Could not agree more: as a DM- do i get upgraded every time? Nope. Have I had the occasional middle seat when I booked late? yep. But the customer service and the IRROPS treatment is second to none and makes any hassles with delta worth it.

About to cross 1 million miles and I fly every week: I will be a Deltaian for life.

ohmark

In a number of situations the last few years, Delta has repeatedly come through for me, where other airlines have failed. Best customer service in the industry, IMO.

flyingmontana

I couldn't agree more. In quite a few difficult circumstances over the past several years that I've been traveling constantly, Delta agents have not only helped me get where I needed to be (or stayed home when I needed to cancel) but offered kind thoughts and comforting attitudes. I love Delta's compassionate approach when a loyal flyer is having a family crisis. They've built up a lot of good will in my book!

topcat_dcx

Fully agreed. DL customer service so far (knock on wood) has been great and they have always accommodated my requests

On a separate note, I only recently found out that the "Thank you" recognition certificates we get are only worth $5. That did p*** me off. Would have thought it should be at least $25

dmarge18

That's it?!?! I would have thought it'd be significantly more, especially since we only get 2/year. I gave one to an excellent FA once who seemed overjoyed and said 'these are like Christmas gifts for us!'

topcat_dcx

Both the agents I gave to were extremely excited to receive these and said something along the same lines. Its only later on when I kept chatting to the check in agent that he let that $ value amount come out. I felt so bad that it was the 1-time when I didn't have more certificates lying around. Good reminder to self to drop a note to their management....

SpinzCity

Flying DTW-MSN last night; 10pm departure delayed till 1215am - - the pilots needed to fly the segment were already in the air to MSN on another flight, and still had to double back to DTW to fly the 10pm (that was now delayed past midnight).

The GA gave constant updates (actually, there was only one update, as delineated above, but continued to give it); they gave out snacks; and when the plane left at 1215am (Woodford Reserve: Breakfast of Champions) the FA's were WONDERFUL. They could have been grumpy or groused (as could have the pilots) but they didn't. Same presence and care deboarding at MSN.

GREAT people. And although the question remains whether staffing is too sparse to cover contingencies, the service aspect and the people aspect is truly remarkable.

jamiestr

FYI, I spoke to a FA about this, and she said it goes in a HR system where it has credit card-like points. They can redeem it for cash, travel, etc., and it is used as a part of their review for seniority and other bonus pay. It seemed like it was worth quite a bit more than $5

slidergirl

As a lowly SM member, not a kettle, but a Medallion, I had a good experience the past few days also. I had to cancel a vacation (and flights) Thursday due to a family medical emergency. I was only calling to cancel to free up my seats and was not expecting anything back. As soon as I started talking to the agent, I started to cry. She was very compassionate and offered right away to give back credit for the flights so I could use it later. I was not expecting this at all. It was only $300, but it was a nice gesture. Little things like this are what slides things in Delta's favor when I have to fly.

muhakas

Ditto the kudos. Agents are always understanding about family emergencies and in one instance of another airline's screw-up, saved my entire vacation by staying on the line with me for a good 45 minutes to be sure that I was taken care of.

wlau

Delta is good at what I call "one off" type of customer service needs. However, when it comes to major disruption, everything just falls apart. I am DM and lived through every major Delta hiccup and customer service was definitely not good on those days when you needed them the most. Even DM line is of no help...