Bump off upgrade problem

 
Old Apr 12, 2004, 10:45 am
  #1  
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Bump off upgrade problem

Ok, so on April 1st, my wife and I were scheduled to fly on Delta the following.
PHL-JFK-CDG.

When we arrived at PHL, we asked about bumping, we were told that both our flights that day were significantly over-sold. They tagged our luggage as standbye, incase they needed us to bump off.

At the gate in PHL they were paging for people to bump off whose final destination was JFK, no one volunteered. They talked to us because both our flights were overbooked.

We said that for a voucher (Ended up being 2 & $200 each), and upgrade to first, we would bump (As we had to fly the following day, and delay our trip (Our honeymoon)), also the extended our return from the 8th through the 10th. They put us up in a hotel (not a requirement for us), upgraded us to first/business through Atlanta and on to CDG. Even printed out boarding cards for both flights for us, that said first/business.

The following day, we flew in first from PHL to Atl, no problems, get to ATL, and we are told that they over-sold in first, and have 'down-graded' us to coach.

I sat there and argued with them until I was blue in the face, and the plane was almost ready to take off, finally got them to honor my wifes upgrade, but not mine.

The gate agent even told me that someone had walked up less than 1 hour earlier and paid 6K for that seat, that is why I was not getting it.

Is this normal to get down-graded when taking a bump? How angry should I be? I had never heard of something like this before...... Is there any sort of route you guys would take to complain? Would you complain, or is this common practice?

We were both on U fares, without status on Delta. Origionally on flight 6280 and 16. Changed to flights 505 & 22.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 10:59 am
  #2  
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First I would pinch myself, trying to make myself come back through the looking glass from 1998, as that was the last time I recall that DL sold First Class across the Atlantic!

Second, as it seems that you were in the bump game, you blew your big chance as you would have been entitled to a lot more for the second bump than the first. Personally I think that the $200 was too little and you were bought off too cheap. That was your fault, not DL's.

You can try complaining, but your real opportunity was at the time. Personally I think that DL had every right to sell the seat for $6k, you just should have been more proactive at the time.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 11:06 am
  #3  
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I tried avoiding typing that it was First PHL-ATL then Business ATL-CDG. If you read exactly what I typed, it was 2X200 each, or 400 for each seat.

Was not really after the money, I wanted that upgrade... Hence, the $400 per seat, or $800 total.

Incidentally, because of the type of tickets (U) we bought, that was more than we paid....

What would you have done differently at the gate in Atl? I had about 20-30 min till boarding, asked for a supervisor, none came, called the guy who did it for us in PHL, not there...... What would you have asked for at the 'down-grade'. They did not even call it a bump...

Last edited by Dad to Rei; Apr 12, 2004 at 11:09 am
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 11:37 am
  #4  
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Originally Posted by Bkniaz

What would you have done differently at the gate in Atl?
I would have insisted that they put me on an itinerary where both my wife and myself could fly B/E. On April 2, there were 12 itineraries that would have gotten you from ATL to CDG. Four of these were direct flights, the rest ran through one other city (Boston, Newark, DC, JFK or Amsterdam). I find it difficult to believe that all of these were filled up.

The alternative would have been to demand that the return flight be in B/E. This, actually, would have been better as it is about an hour longer to fly west than east.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 12:52 pm
  #5  
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Originally Posted by Dovster
I would have insisted that they put me on an itinerary where both my wife and myself could fly B/E. On April 2, there were 12 itineraries that would have gotten you from ATL to CDG. Four of these were direct flights, the rest ran through one other city (Boston, Newark, DC, JFK or Amsterdam). I find it difficult to believe that all of these were filled up.

The alternative would have been to demand that the return flight be in B/E. This, actually, would have been better as it is about an hour longer to fly west than east.
Actually, I tried those things. Unfortunatly, since I was so short on time for my flight, I did not have time to play tiddly-winks with them with regards to there schedule. They kept telling me no, regardless of what I asked. I asked about the upgrade coming back, they said no dice, since I was on AF metal. When I asked to switch back to DL, they said no. This gate agent just had no interest in helping at all, or in honoring the agreement that I had made the prior day in PHL.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 2:33 pm
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Here's your solution: ditch DL

This is exactly why I jumped ship from DL as a GM years ago: not only devaluation of SM FF benefits, but this overall customer-unfriendliness and poor attitude.

Since you were flying from PHL, why not use US? I guarantee you that your experience with US would have been exponentially better. I'm now a very happy CP with them, give them a try. You won't regret it.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 3:46 pm
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I agree it is unfair. I would take whatever docs you have and contact customer service. Maybe you can get some international updgrades, but I doubt they will be that generous. They will probably offer 5-10,000 sky miles each.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 5:14 pm
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Let me see if I get this right...

You paid for coach. Volunteered to get bumped. Was given $800 in vouchers (which is more than you paid for you tickets to begin with). DL changed your ticked to allow you a couple of extra days in Paris. Your wife flew in BE. And you're still ticked off????????!!!!!

DeltaPurser
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 5:18 pm
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Originally Posted by lt1GM
I guarantee you that your experience with US would have been exponentially better.
Oh, yeah? US has some kind of customer service wizard that always manages to satisfy everyone? Can you spell b.a.n.k.r.u.p.t.c.y.?
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 6:13 pm
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Originally Posted by DeltaPurser
Let me see if I get this right...

You paid for coach. Volunteered to get bumped. Was given $800 in vouchers (which is more than you paid for you tickets to begin with). DL changed your ticked to allow you a couple of extra days in Paris. Your wife flew in BE. And you're still ticked off????????!!!!!

DeltaPurser
Purser, I am going to agree with you more than most of the posters here, but I think you are way off base with this one.

When bkniaz accepted the bump in PHL, part of the deal was B/E over the water. DL ought not renege on that later on, even if there is a paying pax. bkniaz might not have accepted the offer without the confirmed B/E for both pax. It's just not right for DL to promise one thing while desperate for volunteers, and then back out later when the volunteer no longer has any leverage. If I were in that position, I would be livid.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 6:38 pm
  #11  
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Honor the Deal.

If a passenger reneged on a deal with Delta Air Lines, you can bet that Delta will have that passenger pay for not adhering to the terms and conditions set forth in the deal.

If Delta makes a deal with a passenger and the passenger fulfills his/her obligation of their end of the deal, Delta needs to honor their end of the deal also, not pick and choose what is best for Delta Air Lines at that moment.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 7:12 pm
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Since when is the "premium" cabin oversold?
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 7:32 pm
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The original bump deal was for vouchers and BE seating. There definitely is some value to that, so you can make a claim that you deserve some compensation for it being unavailable. (Regardless of how you got it, you got it. If you were flying on award tickets or vouchers (out of pocket cost = $0), and you got bumped from that flight, you'd be just as eligible for compensation as someone who paid for their ticket). As other suggested, you'd probably get another Delta voucher, perhaps Skymiles if you asked for them).

If you'd prefer the voucher, I'd do some additional asking to find out if it is combineable with the ones you already received. I think some are not combineable (and/or their is a limit to how many you can use for one purchase). If DL was to give you additional $$, I'm not sure if they can cancel your existing ones, and issue one new one for the new total, otherwise you might have to book two or more separate trips with Delta.

No one ever likes to be involuntarily bumped or downgraded, but there is an order of who they pull full. It doesn't surprise me that a passenger with no DL status, who was upgraded to first, would be one of the first people to be downgraded. That's travel.

Jeff
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 7:34 pm
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Originally Posted by DeltaPurser
Oh, yeah? US has some kind of customer service wizard that always manages to satisfy everyone? Can you spell b.a.n.k.r.u.p.t.c.y.?
DP - The way things are looking, you may have to brush up on that one yourself.
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Old Apr 12, 2004, 9:50 pm
  #15  
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You can say that again!

Originally Posted by bnaboy
DP - The way things are looking, you may have to brush up on that one yourself.
The word in the Bankruptcy community is not if but when Delta files for Chapter 11 protection. Moreover, as others have said, that is exactly the type of customer service that will push it that much faster into the courts and into the open arms of ... my wife! Ha, Ha!

As for the Purser's claim that Ben ought to have been happy with what he received, as others have pointed out, his CONTRACT with Delta was for bump vouchers AND BE seating, not one or the other.

As I advised, if Delta pulls the same spiel as the Delta gate agent did, I am sure that a number of newspapers and other news sources would be happy to pick up on the fact that Delta ruined Ben's once in a lifetime Honeymoon to Paris. Of course, Ben also could pursue legal remedies in small claims court, as he has documentation proving that he was to travel in B/E after he and Delta agreed upon a new contract of carriage.

Finally, Delta Purser, I think that you should study Rule 240, as others have alluded to its substance, but not its actual codification, above.

That requires the carrier to place the passenger(s) in the same class of service as they had agreed to travel if there is an interruption in their flight. This rule requires Delta to have placed Ben and his wife on another carrier, if no substitute was available with respect to Ben's preferences, not Delta's.

So, Delta Purser, I suggest that you bone up on the law books, as you are way off base on many accounts, and who knows, perhaps if you study real hard, you may meet my wife one day in court where she goes by the nickname "The Terminator."
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