MikeMpls

Pocketing fares without flying pax to their destinations gives one heck of a yield, even on sLUT fares. I can see why Delta would want to protect that revenue stream.

jimrpa

I think jfulcher is missing a comma. If you read what s/he said as:
it becomes more reasonable. In other words s/he is trying to compare those accusing Delta of some secret conspiracy to deny the OP his/her mileage run to those who try to accuse the US government of some secret conspiracy to cause the incidents of terrorism that occurred in the US on 11 September 2001.

I'm sure jfulcher wasn't attempting to associate the OP or Delta airlines with the incidents of terrorism that occurred in the US on 11 September 2001.

mmartin4600

Deadweight, is that a step up from ballast?

jimrpa

I suggest that there's a lot more that's being protected here. If Delta is selling a round-trip leaving at 6:00 a.m. and returning at 11:00 p.m. PHL-ATL-PHL for $198, but the 9:00 a.m. departure, 7:00 p.m. return is selling for $600, I'm sure Delta doesn't want everyone booking the $198 fare, failing to show up at 6:00 a.m., then arriving around 8:00 a.m. and demanding to be put on the 9:00 a.m. flight.

Basically, there are cheap flights and more expensive flights. Delta doesn't want people to book the cheap flights, then demand accommodation on the more expensive flights, which is essentially what the OP is demanding.

jimrpa

Ballast can always be replaced by revenue cargo of an equivalent mass. Deadweight cannot

MikeMpls

Please stop misconstuing what happened with these alternative "suggestions". The OP was on time for his flight. His boarding pass was scanned and he entered the jetway, where he was confronted and led away by federal agents.

vasantn

Yes. With all due repect, jimrpa is so far out in left field on this one that he can't hear what anyone else is saying.

plat

Can you substantiate that DL WAS required to notify the feds?

If they were not in fact required, then they certainly did prevent the OP from boarding the flight.

jimrpa

Did the OP board the aircraft and take the flight? No. Was it Delta's fault that the OP did not board the aircraft? No. Therefore, the OP did not fulfill his end of the contract. You can't get much simpler than that.

jimrpa

Please show me, in the OPs original post, where Delta denied the OP boarding, and I'll gladly shut up. It appears that Delta did NOT deny the OP boarding, since he was pulled out of the jetway. Given that Delta was ready to fly him, I don't see how Delta can be held responsible.

jimrpa

Airlines are required to provide the government with a list of all passengers on an international flight. What the government does with that list, or what actions the government takes in regards to certain passengers on that list, aren't the responsibility of Delta. Bottom line: The government pulled the OP off the flight, not Delta.

The requirement to provide passenger lists to the government has been in place for a while, please see this article from 2001.

craz

According to the OP both the Feds and the GA of DL told him he would be reaccommadated and taken care of.

Well to me a GA is an offical DL rep, now if the OP was able to get them to put such a note onto his record I dont know, otherwise it could be a He Said/She Said deal.

I guess you feel that if Youre booted out of a Full Fare 1st Class seat by an FAM, that DL doesnt owe you any refund, after all the Feds forced them to boot you since you were the one sitting in the seat they sit in. So DL should refuse to refund you any of the $$ you spent for that 1st class seat and having to fly in Coach, while if you want a refund it should be only by suing the Govt for the difference in $$.

Something tells me you wouldnt be agreeing to that so quickly

vasantn

Excellent analogy.

jimrpa

I have previously asked for someone to actually read the OP's post and point out to me where he made the claim that the DL Gate Agent "...told him he would be reaccomodated and taken care of."

In fact, the heck with it - I'll save you the trouble of clicking on a link and I'll quote the relevant portions of the post:
Note that, the last contact with a Delta employee according to the OP is when he hands his boarding pass to the Gate Agent and the Gate Agent allows him to board the plane. Further, note that he only recounts asking the "agents who showed badges" if Delta would reaccomodate him. He does not recount any further discussions with Delta employees between the time he is apprehended in the jetway and the time he is questioned. And most telling:
Note that the OP again refers to the promise made by the government agents and makes no comment about any promises made by a Delta agent.
I have no idea what "note" you're referring to. There's no mention of it in the OP.
Actually, yes, I believe that if an FAM boots me out of a paid F seat (not a complimentary medallion upgrade, but a real, honest to goodness F, A, C, J, D, I ticket) then I would absolutely argue that the government owes me the difference in fare. The reality is that there's no way in heck that I'll ever get the difference in fare from the government. If Delta were then unwilling to displace a non-rev or upgraded passenger, so that they could accommodate me in my paid class of service, I would certainly look to Delta to refund the fare difference. I must admit, I haven't encountered too many F cabins that were completely filled with revenue F, A, C, J, D, or I passengers, and I've never heard of a case of a paid F, A, C, J, D, or I passenger being moved to coach to accommodate an FAM, so I think that this is an interesting, but highly unlikely "thought experiment"
As I said above

Now, let's ask the final question that everyone has been avoiding:
Assuming that Delta absolutely did want to prevent this guy from flying, why did the GA scan his boarding pass and allow him to proceed onboard? Certainly, if Delta had been paging the guy, and looking urgently for him, and if Delta was determined that he would not be allowed to fly, they could have flagged his itinerary in some way so that the machine would flash red and beep when he tried to board? Barring that, couldn't they have just gone to the GA working the flight and said "Listen, do not allow Mr. OP to board flight XYZ." I know Delta has the technical capability to do that, because I've seen it happen before!

jimrpa

I'm not sure I'm due any respect