That's it. I'm fed up. How many times can one person be stranded in an airport? Why is it that unlike any other business, we, the consumer, have no voice when it comes to the airlines?
I got to Chicago O'Hare 2 hours early. I checked in, security was a breeze and then I arrive at my gate only to realize that my flight to Cincinnati was delayed by four hours because of "equipment problems". I then come to find out that equipment problems is fancy Delta lingo for "the plane is very very late." Why was I allowed to check in and send my luggage into the big black hole? Who knows...maybe it is because the Delta people are all smoking the ganja in their lounge as their customer service (aka hell in line form) grows longer and longer.
Flights all around me are cancelled or extremely delayed. Did Delta lose all of their planes? Oh what great comfort. As ticket agents who obviously were bewildered and possibly not even trained passed people on to other lines, a red headed dude, who I mentally nicknamed "[Bad Word] Face," sauntered up to the counter and proceeded to just stand there for a good 30 minutes. How much time in prison would I do if I started a revolt in Chicago O'Hare? I have no priors, so that should be in my favor, right? All of you lawyers out there, please feel free to comment. I'm seriously considering this as an option. Hey, if I end up in prison at least I'll have a bed to sleep in instead a piece of badly designed airport carpet.
So I'm blogging to at least voice an opinion. I just saw a report on CNN (the only station they ever show in airports...depression much?) that said there were over 20,000 flights cancelled in the month of June in the US. How can these airlines run their business this way? I know...we have no freaking choice! Gas prices are so high, flying is cheaper in alot of cases, but it is in no way faster anymore. Example 1: In June it took me 30 hours to fly from Dallas to Savannah. Driving there takes 20 hours. Example 2: Today and tomorrow, I will have traveled for 32 hours in order to get back to Savannah from Chicago. It isn't like many other service options where you can just stop buying their product or go to another store. Sometimes they are the only option and this gives them the luxury of treating all of their passengers like dog doo without consideration to their time, belongings or life that awaits at their destination. There has got to be a way to hold them accountable. So if any of you know how I can complain and get ...a million frequent flyer miles in return, then please let me know.
I'm going to get off of my soap box, but I will conclude with one statement. Delta has messed with me the last time. I am going to use my frequent flyer miles and then stop flying them. This will give me the chance to hate another airline.
I am now seated on the floor next to a chubby boy who was given a highly toxic marker from a Delta agent. I'm pretty sure these markers aren't even made anymore and if they are, you probably have to show ID and have a background check. He has drawn a picture of me with a huge afro and a see through dress where you can see every inch of my stick figure body. If I end up with brain damage from the fumes, Delta is responsible.
6 comments:
3 years ago I was flying from DFW to London on American when I was 1) stuck with a broken tv and moved to the row by the bathroom on a 7 hr flight; 2) reprimanded until I cried by a male flight attendant for putting my food on the tray table while I was asleep; 3) literally, physically shoved by a female flight attendant when I tried to complain about said male attendent; 4) totally ignored when I called American and gave them the 30 minute version of this story.
Moral of the story: fat-effing-chance you'll get anything out of anyone. . . but it's always worth a shot :)
P.S. air travel is the bain of my existence
P.P.S. perhaps it's time for a career change to something more stationary? :)
This is why we call it "Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport"!!! Just you wait... your Skymiles will build up and it will all be worth it. I've been to Ecuador, and Italy, and soon to Spain, too. Hang in there!
I couldn't agree with you more. I used to hate American, but now I've shifted my hatred to Delta, and boy, it feels good to shift, like flipping your pillow in the middle of the night to the cool side, refreshing.
Blake and I were given (altruistically) stand by tickets to visit my mom's Delta flight attendant and her family for the 4th of July. We knew that it was inane to fly stand by on a holiday but thought, what the hell, why not? That sentence as been part of too many famous last words, we should have taken notice.
We were (of course) stranded on the way out there (along with all the paying customers) and had to spend the night in Atlanta, the hub of all their devilishness, and then on the way home were stranded for so long that we rented a car and drove to Dallas. Yes, we were literally "driven" to the edge.
Blake has made me swear we will never fly stand by again, although that is always how Judie Huey traveled, i must bury that too. And into the 6 foot hole, i'm throwing any last feelings of sentimentality towards Delta that i had left in my being.
So, yes, I totally agree with you, they suck, and i'm sorry you had to deal with that, looks like we need to start a Consumer Reports or Dateline special on this somehow...
You crack me up, Brookie! Perhaps you should travel by Conestoga Wagon in the future! It might seem old and "unmodern," but I think you'll find the accomodations quite pleasant and the ride very smooth. And you'll arrive in style and more quickly than you have been on Delta.
PS...river fording and cholera are just the beginning of your adventure. There's always hunting for your own food and having to sell off a sister/brother/fellow passenger in the next town if you need supplies and are out of money. "Prostitution ain't no big thang when you're out of salt." I think that's how the saying went on the Oregon Trail...
We just got back from a trip to Israel where we got stranded in Frankfurt overnight on the way home because our Lufthanza plane had "mechanical difficulty". Travel just isn't any fun anymore.
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