douggie77

How so? Tell me what I did wrong.

douggie77

Thanks for the civil and helpful reply. I was starting to think that everyone on this forum was an unhappy troll.

I was just curious as to whether there was some kind of "passenger's rights" kind of thing, along the lines of what's in Canada. I mean, no note at the gate, no text, no updating of the boards, etc., how exactly did they think that I was going to know where to go? I checked the boards immediately after coming off the original flight, saw that I had time, and got a coffee. I would have made it to my connection in time if they just would have left SOME notification that things had changed, or even an agent anywhere near the gate in question, but they didn't.

For me, this is a "they're the worst" moment because I've rarely ever had a flight go well with Delta. I used to fly them fairly often, took a break for at least 5 years, and the first flight back is more issues. I never had this issue before, mostly delays caused by poor crew planning - the kind where the plane is there, but the crew was going off shift or something and they didn't have anyone to take their place. Or there would be a major problem and everyone would have to go to a desk for help, and they'd assign one agent for 200 people. It was always something. It seemed like Delta had the worst logistics people on the face of the earth, and when I saw that they couldn't post ANYWHERE the information that a gate had changed, that was it for me. They apparently announced it verbally at the gate, at some point, but people ARE getting off planes to make connections, so it's not like everyone is hanging out at the gate for long periods beforehand. Or what if I was deaf?

tearex

I know some people like to delay boarding as much as possible, but I'm in the camp where I like to be at the gate ahead of time and 15 minutes prior to departure is cutting it too close for me. I consider that time to be doors closing.

OP, did you have the Delta app? Sure, the boards, screens at the gate, etc should have been updated with the new gate. Curious if the app showed the same thing since a push notification goes out once boarding starts.

rucksack

I'm not trying to be flippant, but what exactly were you hoping to hear? Yes, Delta probably erred by not updating the gate information. Airlines, including Delta, make mistakes all the time. But they got you to where you were going, albeit a few hours late, and compensated you for the trouble. You'd be unlikely to get more compensation if you sat on the tarmac for a few hours because of a maintenance issue.

I'm sorry you haven't found the feedback here more helpful. The reality is that most people, especially on this forum, think that Delta is one of the most competent, best operated airlines. You're entitled to your opinion, but this isn't exactly the place to go to get sympathy for that point of view. Here is some, I hope, helpful advice for the future:

• Many travelers have learned the hard way that unexpected things happen frequently while traveling and that cutting things close can be very unforgiving. Showing up at the gate 15 minute before departure – the very last minute, by definition – is risky. Regardless of fault, you need to be OK with the possibility of something going wrong if you're going to employ this strategy.
• Airport information displays are sometimes wrong. This isn't helped by the fact that they're sometimes run by the airport rather than a particular airline. It's always best to verify your gate in person before wandering off.
• Delta's app provides live updates of your departure gate and sends push notifications that include the gate information when boarding starts.

I hope you have a better experience next time you fly, regardless of which airline.

cmd320

It's your job to know where your gate is, when the flight boards, and most importantly, when it closes. While it's unfortunate that they did not send you and update via email or text message, or make an announcement in the terminal, sometimes late notice gate changes happen. It's important to always stay on top of where your flight is departing from, especially in a large airport like DTW.

xliioper

FYI, all airlines (not just Delta) advise passengers that published departure time is not the same time as gate closing time for boarding and that you should be at the gate at least 15 minutes prior to departure. Showing up at exactly 15 minutes is very risky as they can potentially offload you, clear standby's, close the door, etc. at that point.

Dave510

Going to go against the grain and say it's not the OP's fault. Boarding pass information can change, but the screens and etc near the gates should be accurate. Not all travellers have access to wifi or data while travelling, so in airport displays should be updated somewhat reasonably.

That said, not sure what the OP expects except for an apology and $150. This is the US we're talking about. And showing up to the gate 15 mins before departure, then asking about it when it's empty is probably not the safety thing to do if making the flight is somewhere near the top of the list.

apodo77

I paid $5000 for a D1 ticket got lied to by the purser, had no working IFE, was served raw steak, the wifi went out half way through the flight and all I was offered was $150.
Got a call from an agent and requested more and they wouldn't budge.

Seems OP got quite a generous offer.

Rbt001

ijgordon

DL is 80% to blame here if the monitors and app weren't updated. OP is 20% to blame for only arriving at the gate at T-15 (that's cutting it too close). But if the gate was already deserted by then, the announcement was probably T-20 or even earlier. It's not acceptable for the ONLY notification of a gate change to be verbally at a gate at T-20.

OP - take the $150 and run to AA, and see how you like them apples.

radonc1

I find it curious that if all you were doing was getting a cup of coffee in the terminal, that you didn't hear your name being called not once but twice by the GA as they were looking for you to board the plane (with the usual threats of shutting the door in "X" minutes?)
Did you not hear your name being paged overhead to board the flight?

nrr

Newman55

You did a lot of things wrong. It was wrong to stop for coffee when you only had 15 minutes between flights. I think you're also wrong to complain about the compensation Delta gave you.

I don't believe your story is based on reality for a second.

JakeRobertson212

JakeRobertson212