My letter of “complaint” to Delta:
Message: ‘The delay made me miss my connection even though I ran
through the airport and they knew I was coming from a late flight. The
plane was just pulling away from the door when I got there. Since it was
the last flight of the day and a small plane I was a little upset that
they could not wait 3 minutes for me. I had to spend the night in MSP
and take a flight the next day which was NOT convenient for either me or
my husband who was picking me up. THEN they did not not send my luggage.
The flight I was rescheduled on arrived about 20 minutes late also so
that was even MORE of an inconvenience. While the gate attendant was
apologetic that I missed the flight it still did not make up for the
fact that I had to spend an unscheduled night away from home, got dinky
meal vouchers that one was expired by the time I got it to use, and my
PRIORITY baggage did not accompany me even though i was assured it would
be on my flight. So tired of the Delta drama. I know I only have Silver
Medallion status but would like to just have some nice good old
fashioned customer service. I am sure that this won’t even get read but
on the off chance that it does–thanks for letting me tell you about my
interrupted travel. Some compensation for my interrupted travel and
delayed luggage would go a long way to erase this bad memory.
My response from Delta: (never mind they keep addressing me as Mr.)
Dear Mr. Chiles,
RE: Case Number 2867832
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the service provided while
traveling with us. On behalf of everyone at Delta Air Lines, I
sincerely apologize for our flight disruption causing you to miss your
connecting flight and the way we handle your luggage.
I certainly understand how unsettling this event must have been for you
when our flight was delayed from Raleigh Durham which consequently led
to miss your linking flight from Minneapolis, St. Paul and resulted in
an overnight stay. This was particularly inconvenient for your husband
as well who was about to pick you at your destination. Many factors
including unexpected maintenance or weather conditions occasionally
force us to alter our timetable and I realize your travel was adversely
affected. We also recognize how important it is for them to reach their
destination in a timely manner and this was clearly an unfortunate
experience.
Further, we know that your connecting flight was not held, which only
added to your disappointment. Please know that any decision to hold a
flight for connecting passengers is made on a case-by-case basis by our
Operations Control Center (OCC). Team members working at the gate are
responsible for an on-time departure and are unable to override
directives from our OCC team. At that point, the flight had been
secured for departure and, again, I repent the door was not reopened for
you.
Moreover, to your dismay the rebooked flight departed a few minutes
late. Nevertheless, I am deeply sorry that we have failed to deliver
your luggage on time upon arrival. Like you, we certainly wish that
instances of mishandled bags never occurred. Please know in future we
will make every effort to deliver your bags to you in the timeliest
manner possible. To this end, your concerns have been forwarded to the
responsible management staff so that we may improve our overall quality
of service.
In an appreciation of your Silver Medallion status and as a gesture of
apology for our flight disturbance, I have added 9,500 bonus miles to
your SkyMiles account. Please allow 3 business days for the miles to be
added.
Mr. Chiles, I want to thank you for allowing me to address our flight
irregularity and the mishandling of your luggage. Your selection of
Delta Air Lines is very much appreciated. Please accept our apologies
for the poor impression you received, and give us an early opportunity
to regain your confidence.
Sincerely,
Sandra P. Keefe
Coordinator, Customer Care
