Awful customer service after diversion
Feb 22, 2019, 5:56 pm
#46
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You should make sure that your return ticket and itinerary are intact.
Feb 22, 2019, 6:02 pm
#47
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I don't generally try to bash an OP but there are a few points here for now and future consideration. Number 1, seize the situation. I know it isn't always easy.
As at least one other said, what about the "Delta agent meeting this flight?" There is always one. That jetway doesn't move by itself. I suppose they could have ran off but I don't think that is within policy. And there is the ticket counter. You couldn't have been the only one to miss a connection.
OK, that was a mistake on the agents part and a poor choice of words
They CAN and they WILL. As another posted, all aircraft aren't equal on landing but more importantly is just a limited number of planes that can land when volume is reduced. Sure Delta contributes to this with general high volume in ATL. They are SOMEWHAT in control before the plane is in the air but ATC is in control on arriving.
I think that sounds like a brilliant plan. Why was this option not exercised? About 10 seconds after running into problems at this hour, I would have been seeking a hotel on my own, reimbursed or not.
I hear the horror stories of travel and I can share a few of my own. But I wonder how many horror stories I have avoided but just taking control. Granted that has come with a ton of experience. Maybe my first supervisor helped me from the beginning. I got stuck at EWR with no place to go. I called airport hotels and they were all sold out. This was before the days of apps and free airport wi-fi. I called the supervisor and he said to go rent a car and drive until I found a place to stay and I did. Adapt and overcome.
As at least one other said, what about the "Delta agent meeting this flight?" There is always one. That jetway doesn't move by itself. I suppose they could have ran off but I don't think that is within policy. And there is the ticket counter. You couldn't have been the only one to miss a connection.
OK, that was a mistake on the agents part and a poor choice of words
They CAN and they WILL. As another posted, all aircraft aren't equal on landing but more importantly is just a limited number of planes that can land when volume is reduced. Sure Delta contributes to this with general high volume in ATL. They are SOMEWHAT in control before the plane is in the air but ATC is in control on arriving.
I think that sounds like a brilliant plan. Why was this option not exercised? About 10 seconds after running into problems at this hour, I would have been seeking a hotel on my own, reimbursed or not.
I hear the horror stories of travel and I can share a few of my own. But I wonder how many horror stories I have avoided but just taking control. Granted that has come with a ton of experience. Maybe my first supervisor helped me from the beginning. I got stuck at EWR with no place to go. I called airport hotels and they were all sold out. This was before the days of apps and free airport wi-fi. I called the supervisor and he said to go rent a car and drive until I found a place to stay and I did. Adapt and overcome.
Feb 22, 2019, 6:07 pm
#48
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Feb 22, 2019, 7:06 pm
#49
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Even if this was one ticket, I wouldn't be suprirsed if the system gets confused due to the diversion. The diversion still shows as a completed flight, even if not to the correct destination, and then the recovery leg a separate segment. It could easily be the TPA-ATL segment was recorded as complete due to the diversion, then thinks the ATL-ICN as a no-show and auto-cancels the remaining because the previous segment was completed, and then the passenger didn't show. An agent quickly looking at the reservation might just see that, and without looking further. realize that it wasn't actually a "no show" but instead a quirk in the system, that probably isn't set up to routinely handle diversions which then cause a missed INTL connection.
Also, anyone who has to overnight at ATL for a few hours, remember the Minute Suites if you do not want to leave the airport. It's way better than nothing. And I bet DL would reimburse it after the fact in a situation like this.
Good luck getting your itinerary rebuilt and points properly awarded. And hopefully an extra segment for TPA-TLH-ATL
Feb 23, 2019, 2:20 am
#50
Join Date: Jun 2004
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I agree with you that it is bad form for DL to have no airside agents as long as they have connecting pax (which is likely always). And I would have thought concourse A is the obvious spot for the last agents.
I probably would have gone to the terminal and get it handled there, but that does not excuse what I also would consider to be a fail.
I probably would have gone to the terminal and get it handled there, but that does not excuse what I also would consider to be a fail.
Feb 23, 2019, 4:25 am
#51
Join Date: Sep 2016
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First, thanks for coming back and clearing the air.
Second, if one itinerary, aside from “acts of God” (never liked that expression) DL is obligated to get you to your ticketed destination as quickly as possible and at no additional expense to you, or back to your point of origin with a full refund and some form of compensation.
At least that is my understanding in a nutshell.
Second, if one itinerary, aside from “acts of God” (never liked that expression) DL is obligated to get you to your ticketed destination as quickly as possible and at no additional expense to you, or back to your point of origin with a full refund and some form of compensation.
At least that is my understanding in a nutshell.
Feb 23, 2019, 6:19 am
#52
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If you can't find an agent in concourse A, my instinct would be to examine the flight monitors and look for gates where there are some flights yet to land or depart and try going to that area of the airport.
I know that in some airports, all of the very early and very late flights tend to be assigned to the same concourse where possible (and that concourse is also more likely to have F&B outlets and other merchants with extended hours).
I know that in some airports, all of the very early and very late flights tend to be assigned to the same concourse where possible (and that concourse is also more likely to have F&B outlets and other merchants with extended hours).
Feb 23, 2019, 6:33 am
#53
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Or head to the counters. While nobody wants to go through a checkpoint more times that necessary, it seemed evident that OP faced some number of hours at ATL. Perhaps there were agents somewhere, but it's a large airport. There is always a staffed counter.
Feb 23, 2019, 7:14 am
#54
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MEM
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A couple of thoughts.
People keep pointing out the minute suites, but if ATL is in a weather meltdown to the point that DL is out of hotel rooms then the minute suites are probably full.
the other thing is “What about the agent meeting the flight”. My experience in ATL is that they flat out refuse to help. I was forced to overnight in ATL in Dec, the only thing the agent meeting the flight would say was “Scan your boarding pass”. She 100 percent refused to talk about helping people.
I also got caught up in the Thur night mess. All the agent meeting the plane would say was “go to the service center at B19” I was flying MEM - ATL - IAH and we had both mechanical and weather delays. I was on twitter asking them to hold the IAH flight, but got nothing, I got to the gate at 10:50 PM and the agent was already down the jetway. The system shows them departed at 1055. DL would rather me sleep on the airport floor than hold the last already delayed flight a couple of minutes. you know what the agent said? Go to B19 for rebooking.
The entire DL staff at ATL needs to learn some things about customer service and service recovery. During these two issues I talked to probably 8 - 10 gate agents, red coats, and sky club agents. Not a single one ever said “I’m sorry about the delay, I know this is frustrating, let me see what I can do to help”. That is customer service 101 and it is sorely lacking from ATL. Instead everyone is just trying to pass the buck to overloaded rebooking stations, or in the dec case told me to go outside security.
We we all know how to work around this, but what about the people who don’t fly every week. I had to help a guy who was traveling alone with two pre-school aged kids get sorted out, it was the first time he had ever flown. That guy is never going to fly delta again, becauuse when the gate agent scanned his boarding pass and got his auto-rebooking printout she wouldn’t even talk to him or make eye contact. Just kept looking at the next person saying “scan your boarding pass” and ignoring his pleas for help.
If if all we get is “scan your boarding pass” and “go to B19” we don’t need gate agents. The new automated gates will suffice.
People keep pointing out the minute suites, but if ATL is in a weather meltdown to the point that DL is out of hotel rooms then the minute suites are probably full.
the other thing is “What about the agent meeting the flight”. My experience in ATL is that they flat out refuse to help. I was forced to overnight in ATL in Dec, the only thing the agent meeting the flight would say was “Scan your boarding pass”. She 100 percent refused to talk about helping people.
I also got caught up in the Thur night mess. All the agent meeting the plane would say was “go to the service center at B19” I was flying MEM - ATL - IAH and we had both mechanical and weather delays. I was on twitter asking them to hold the IAH flight, but got nothing, I got to the gate at 10:50 PM and the agent was already down the jetway. The system shows them departed at 1055. DL would rather me sleep on the airport floor than hold the last already delayed flight a couple of minutes. you know what the agent said? Go to B19 for rebooking.
The entire DL staff at ATL needs to learn some things about customer service and service recovery. During these two issues I talked to probably 8 - 10 gate agents, red coats, and sky club agents. Not a single one ever said “I’m sorry about the delay, I know this is frustrating, let me see what I can do to help”. That is customer service 101 and it is sorely lacking from ATL. Instead everyone is just trying to pass the buck to overloaded rebooking stations, or in the dec case told me to go outside security.
We we all know how to work around this, but what about the people who don’t fly every week. I had to help a guy who was traveling alone with two pre-school aged kids get sorted out, it was the first time he had ever flown. That guy is never going to fly delta again, becauuse when the gate agent scanned his boarding pass and got his auto-rebooking printout she wouldn’t even talk to him or make eye contact. Just kept looking at the next person saying “scan your boarding pass” and ignoring his pleas for help.
If if all we get is “scan your boarding pass” and “go to B19” we don’t need gate agents. The new automated gates will suffice.
Feb 23, 2019, 7:16 am
#55
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Second, if one itinerary, aside from “acts of God” (never liked that expression) DL is obligated to get you to your ticketed destination as quickly as possible and at no additional expense to you, or back to your point of origin with a full refund and some form of compensation.
Feb 23, 2019, 7:46 am
#56
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
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I assume it was because of status and not policy.