6 tips to improve delta service
 

1 - establish a policy to page customers (maybe they are in security) - hey Delta - the other airlines do this!

2 - hire better people for Customer Service for their phone line and give them counseling if they can't control their snide remarks to innocent passengers

3 - have a policy to assist passengers when a flight is missed regardless o whose fault it is. Other airlines don't offer to put you on the next flight for a hefty fee (as happened to me), they do it for free. Also, how about standby - other airlines do this.

4 - establish a policy whereby internet and counter prices are the same.

5 - don't let the airplane leave the gate 10 minutes before the flight when there are checked in passengers that aren't on board.

6 - take is seriously when dissatisfied customers tell you that they won't ever fly your airline again - even with vouchers.

1 - establish a policy to page customers (maybe they are in security) - hey Delta - the other airlines do this!

This is a standard practice for all airlines, if the lack of it caused you an inconvenience then tell an agent, or preferably a supervisor if available but during a reasonable time (don't stop traffic at the gate during boarding) even if that happens to be at the end of your journey. these types of things are covered in briefings.

2 - hire better people for Customer Service for their phone line and give them counseling if they can't control their snide remarks to innocent passengers

Unfortunatly this is cost saving measure. It may seem like you pay a lot for tickets, but in all honesty the prices haven't changed in 20 years, and inflation certainly has. Until the industry can recover it mostly won't be possible to afford US wages for the numbers of call centers airline call volume requires.

3 - have a policy to assist passengers when a flight is missed regardless o whose fault it is. Other airlines don't offer to put you on the next flight for a hefty fee (as happened to me), they do it for free. Also, how about standby - other airlines do this.

Some airlines may not charge you, but instead place you on the standby list, in most cases get on a later flight isn't a problem given that, but on a busy day you could find yourself stuck in a city all day. What Delta does is confirm you for the next available flight. It not only assures you that you'll get on, but it will probably remind you that next time you fly that you should probably give yourself a little more time.

4 - establish a policy whereby internet and counter prices are the same.

The internet helps Delta to reduce the amount of traffic at the front-line ticketing office (aka the ticket counter) and therefore allows them to expedite the process of checking in traveling customers. The cheaper fairs are there to encourage customers to use that method. The only result of making both the same would be for the online fairs to be the same as the others, and the cost saving to the customers would be gone. Delta is making strides to improve the online experience, including making vouchers issued after March of this year useable online for those cheaper fairs.

5 - don't let the airplane leave the gate 10 minutes before the flight when there are checked in passengers that aren't on board.

At 10 minutes prior to departure the boarding process is supposed to be done. At the time of departure the aircraft should be pushed back from the gate. This is time needed for final paper work to be run and reviewed by the flight crew. That's why the policy states that the passenger needs to be at the gate at least 15 minutes prior to departure.

6 - take is seriously when dissatisfied customers tell you that they won't ever fly your airline again - even with vouchers.

Airlines take matters with customers seriously, but by the same token there is a limit to what can be done. They understand that the customer is upset when they are inconvenienced, but an upset customer often won't be satisfied, regardless of measures taken. Delta hopes customers understand the volitile situation the industry is in as a whole, and can see how Delta is working to improve operations, and quality of service :)

taken by delta
 

1) Don't overbook flights, when you know you can't handle the overflow.

2)Don't leave paying customes in a hotel for 12 hours, because you can't manage the Pilots and flight scheduals.

3) get your airport staff some couseling, as 50% of the ones we delt with on our flights were rude, mean spirited people who should find a job doing something else other than working with the public, as it is apparent they want to be doing somethig else.

4) When you have made an error that costs the consumer money, Don't blow them off.

5) We are paying customers, treat us as such. we pay for a service, and from what i've seen you shold reimburse customers for losses that you create.

Re: taken by delta
 

Well I'm going to be in a minority of one here - but I recently flew to NY on Delta - and both ways I managed to grab a bulkhead seat in coach - the price was very reasonable - and compared to trendier airlines like BA and Virgin the seat felt distinctly wider and less uncomfortable... rare for me not to want the head of the CEO on a pike for the quality of international flights in coach - but Delta more or less passed the audition - yes the food and inhouse was dire... but compared to a lousy cramped seat - that's smaller beer

Listen to your customers
 

With my recent problem, Delta has basically told me that my word (and my sisters and brother-in -law who witnessed the incident, counts for nothing. They will only take into account the notes placed on my file by the employee. The employee I am complaining about who has in addition to all the stressed and financial hardship he caused me, put lies in the file about the incident to cover himself. Delta has come back to me and said I should have spoken to his manager, but he refused very sternly to get a manager when I asked. I spent 10 minutes at the counter asking for a manager and trying to resolve the dispute to no avail. What more would Delta have liked me to have done? I had know choice but to leave the counter unsatisfied. If they sincerely believe that the only way to resolve a dispute at the airport when you are asked to pay a charge incorrectly is to speak to the manager then how can they hold customers responsible when they are refused this right repeatedly? I've looked in other forums, I'm not the only one this has happened to.

DV, you should have started a new article rather than tack onto an old one. But you also need more details as to what "exactly" happened.

I'm assuming "DV" is referring to this post.

Former DL Employee
 

:eek:THE CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT DELTA NOW PROVIDES IS A DISGRACE TO THE PRE BANKRUPT DELTA. I HAD A 29 YEAR CAREER WITH DELTA AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE WE PROVIDED WAS AMONG THE TOPS IN THE INDUSTRY. WE DID WHATEVER WE COULD DO TO SATISFY THE CUSTOMER TO ASSURE THAT HE WOULD WANT TO CONTINUE FLYING DELTA. THE NEW POLICY OF CHARGING $50.00 TO STANDBY FOR AN EARLIER FLIGHT THAT HAS A OPEN SEAT ON IT IS TOTAL NON PASSENGER SERVICE. DELTA NEEDS TO GET BACK TO REAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SATISFYING THE CUSTOMERS NEEDS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET EVERY NICKLE THEY CAN FROM THEM. TREAT THEM AS HUMAN BEINGS AND NOT CASH COWS AND THEY WILL RETURN AND THEY ALONE WILLL RETURN YOU INTO A PROFITABLE ENTITY.

i just flew delta. they dont charge $50 to fly stand by. they charge you $50 for a confirmed seat on the next flight. at least thats what it was for me on the kiosk

Yeah, and they are supremely hypocritical. If you arrive early at the airport and ask to go standby for an earlier seat, then it costs the customer $50. They however routinely overbook seats. This is effectively selling to goods twice... it is outrageous and should be banned.

Which means there were open seats on it and you would have made it standby. They do charge you $50.00 to fly standby.:p Check it out.

Southwest doesn't allow standby at all unless you pay up to the full "walk-up" fare for the flight. That can easily be hundreds of dollars depending on how early you bough the ticket and the route. I don't see people on this board complaining about that. Yet Delta charges $50 for the convenience of same day flight changes and suddenly it's an evil anti-customer thing. Get over it people. If you wanted to fly earlier or later than why didn't you buy a ticket for the earlier/later flight to begin with? I'm guessing it's because that earlier or later flight was more expensive! Also Delta waives the $50 same-day change fee for it's Platinum SkyMiles members so if you want to have the flexibility of free same-day flight changes I suggest you glue your ass in an airline seat for 75,000 miles! Happy Flying.

Convvenience is called Customer Service and I think it takes more than 75,000 Miles to become a Platinum Sky Miles member and remember SW ia PROFITABLE AIRLINE with Happy Bags.

How can Delta improve?

1. Break up all the monolith airlines into smaller, more competitive units, following the example of Ma Bell into Baby Bells.
2. Prevent any airline from having more than 35% of the take off and landing slots at any airport
3. Allow foreign ownership of domestic airlines where a bi-lateral reciprocal agreement is in place (eg. if US airlines can buy EU airlines without restriction, then EU airlines should be allowed to buy or own US airlines)
4. Take away the anti-trust protection enshired in the De-regulation Act.
5. Make US airlines subject to the same consumer regulations other US companies must abide by, with enforcement at the state level.
6. Pass a passenger rights bill which incorporates minimum standards, such as passenger rights to disembark when held on the tarmac for more than 2 hours; protection for minors when in the care of the airlines; minimum levels of support when schedules are disrupted and passengers are stranded.

The usual cacophony of complaints that this will raise costs will be used to justify not doing this. Costs will rise, but no where near what is suggested and will apply to all airlines. There would be a dramatic improvement in standards when normal market competition applies.

Last, limit executive bonuses on a similar basis to that being applied to financial institutions until such time as all of these reforms have been implemented. Currently, executives are reaping huge rewards on the back of market and monopoly abuse.

No, it's 75K. Why don't you check your facts before posting.

What planet have you been vacationing on? Again, CHECK YOUR FACTS. In the last 5 quarters Southwest has only reported a profit in one of them.

Cite your sources
 

PHXFlyer wrote (on 11-12-09):

In the last 5 quarters Southwest has only reported a profit in one of them.

In your own words "check your facts." I don't have the figures for the 3rd quarter of 2008. However, in the last FOUR quarters, Southwest posted a loss in only ONE quarter (2nd quarter, 2009.) Furthermore, Southwest has posted a net profit for the last three years (2006 - 2008.) Please identify another US-based airline which equals or exceeds this pattern and please provide link(s) in support of your original statement. Finally, Southwest has never filed for bankruptcy.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=LUV

Southwest Airlines NET profit/losses for the last 5 fiscal quarters:

3rd Q 2008 - $16 Mil. NET LOSS
4th Q 2008 - $56 Mil. NET LOSS
1st Q 2009 - $91 Mil. NET LOSS
2nd Q 2009 - $54 Mil. NET PROFIT
3rd Q 2009 - $16 Mil. NET LOSS

My statement was correct.

Phx, I provided a source for my information. You did not. Obviously, your figures are at odds with mine. In the absence of citing a source how are we to assume your figures are not fabricated?

OK, Phx, I did the work you should have done and was able to find sources supporting your claim. I don't know why the posting of a link is such a big deal??

Anyway, so what's your point? Are you, actually, suggesting Southwest's profitability record is COMPARABLE to its competitors?? I don't think so. But I suppose you, and other unnamed individuals, on this board feel otherwise.

First Quarter 2009 - Loss - http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wa...In.1st.Quarter

Second Quarter 2009 - profit - http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009...econd-quarter/

Third Quarter 2009 - Loss - http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sou...lts-2009-10-15

Fourth Quarter 2008 - Loss -http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/business/23air.html

Google is your friend, puff.

Silent Bob wrote:

Google is your friend, puff.

Bob, why do you feel continuing the name-calling is a good thing to do? When people were calling you Bob The Drunk you may have, rightly, become offended, and even hit the report button. You are part of the 66% of this board who's posts tend to be airline-supportive, more often than not. Do you feel you can get-away with this because the others, in said 66%, will defend you?

SB, or any other "66-percenter," please, by all means, feel free to hit the report button. I will be interested to see how the moderator does, or does not, justify your kind of behavior.

Not really sure what the relevance of the profitability of SWA has on Delta. Delta has consisitently lost money, filed bankruptcy and robbed staff, customers and supplies whilst ensuring their executives remain highly renumerated.

SWA has consistently been profitable, generated a good return for its investors has never filed bankruptcy and enjoys stellar relations with its staff team.

The current environment is exceptional and the fact that airlines like SWA are also losing money doesn't really illustrate any point, other than the state of the economy. Very few airlines are making money right now... even the sainted Singapore Airlines are losing money! Yes, mars, it's true!

Actually puff, the only person I hit the report button on was Sinbad, simply because his name calling was getting outrageous, not towards myself but others to the point where it was becoming offensive. Bob the drunk is one thing, calling people dog vomit, well that's just plain mean.

Jim, I don't see the relevance of SW's profitibility either, but puff asked for links that Phx didn't give, so I gave him links.

I didn't feel I needed to provide links since it is PUBLIC INFORMATION that any elementary school student with an internet connection and Google should have been able to figure out.

YOU, sir, was the one who called me out on the carpet. I still proved you were WRONG and yet you STILL grasp at straws. "Give me links." Well, Bob did your work for you so stop acting like a sniveling child and just say "I was WRONG." It's not so bad, Butch. You ought to give it a try every now and then.

Actually, Jim, on Delta if you check in online or at a kiosk and the flight you're checking in for is overbooked you will be given the option of an earlier or later flight at no additional cost. It's happened to me before but I usually stick with the overbooked flight and volunteer my seat in exchange for a voucher. Of course we all know those vouchers are worthless and you can never use them anyway! :D

Wow, what a great offer. Delta seem to have really changed...

Just to clarify, you have booked a specific flight with Delta and they have agreed the contract. You get to the airport and Delta tells you they are going to renege on the contract, but offer you alternative flights at no cost to you. That to you is a good offer?

How are they reneging on the contract. The will still get you to your destination and in some cases earlier than originally scheduled. You are simply given the option of an alternate flight without any fee to change or you can stick with the original flight you had. There's no broken contract here. You are sounding like a Barrister ew once know from Trinidad! :rolleyes:

If the flight is overbooked and the passengers who have a contract for a seat turn up, Delta will renege on the contract. However, no such option exists for the passenger.

I have been to Trinidad & Tobago.. it is quite nice.

(jim) haha yeah i know Singapore Airlines lost money, but than again who hasnt?

At least with them you don't need to worry about many of the problems with other airlines, such as rude flight attendants, "drunk" employees, etc

If you check in for the flight in a timely manner then overbooking shouldn't be an issue. It's the people who refuse to check in online and show up 35 minutes before departure to check in that encounter issues with possibly being denied boarding involuntarily but really when they don't take the responsibility to be at the airport on time then they deserve what they get!

You keep saying that overbooking should not be allowed however if that were to come to pass then fares would go up. We hear all the time of people fighting tooth and nail to get back a $15 baggage fee so how do you think the average traveler would react to a $50 fare hike when the airlines are no longer allowed to overbook?

Personally the most a flight I've been on has been oversold by is 12 and that was under extenuating circumstances. It's usually only by a few and sometimes I'll get on the list and they won't even need my seat since there were enough no-shows to offset the overbooking.

PHXFlyer wrote:

they won't even need my seat since there were enough no-shows to offset the overbooking.

How would a non-airline employee know this? Indeed, I would think the only people that would know this would be the gate staff working the given flight. I've never heard of an announcement, along the lines of: Attention in the boarding area. Since there were enough no-shows we will not be bumping anyone.

This just sounds like you are, or were, an airline employee. You have the "Airline Sympathizer" label so, really, whether you are, or not, doesn't matter. It's just that on, at least, one occasion you denied you are, or ever were, an airline employee.

Still trying to twist every word I post.

I was talking about when I'm flying and they are soliciting volunteers because the flight is over-sold. Why don't you hang out on FlyerTalk for a bit. You'll learn a lot about the ins-and outs of how fares work, how upgrades work, how to tell if a flight might be overbooked even before getting to the airport, etc. I wish you would get off this obsession you seem to have.

Overbooking is tantamount to fraud. They are selling things they simply don't have available to sell.

Okay, Jim. Let's play Jim owns an airline. You have one aircraft that makes 6 trips a day. After several years of flying that same aircraft at the same times of day on the same route you have historical data to support that on average 10 people are a no-show for every single flight. Are you really going to fly the plane with an average of 10 empty seats per trip? To do so you would have to make fares non-changeable, or if they were changeable charge a hefty penalty to do so since you lost revenue on the original ticketed flight. Either that or raise the fares for everyone else who did show up to make up the revenue on the empty seats from the no-shows. Or simply take your chances and trust your historical data and allow each flight to be overbooked by 10 seats knowing that 10 people probably won't show up or cancel at the last-minute.

Phx, this is an outdated argument. In the past, you could argue that when tickets were more flexible, there was a case for over-selling, as the deal was flexible both ways. The passenger could no show, but the ticket retained it's value and the customer could use it on another flight. Now, the vast majority of tickets sold are non refundable and "no showing" for a flight results in a cancellation of the ticket.

How is the airline disadvantaged by flying with empty seats? The airline has sold those seats. They have the revenue, if the passenger "no shows" they still get the money.

I have a compromise suggestion. Let's assume that 20% of passengers travelling on a flexible ticket "no show". I suggest we have a regulation that airlines can only oversell seats by 20% of the passengers on that flight who are travelling on a fully refundable ticket.

So, on a 100 seat aircraft, lets say that 10 seats are booked using fully refundable tickets. The airline could oversell by 2 seats.

Btw.. there are airlines in the world which never oversell. Some of them are highly profitable... the ability to oversell seats and profitability are not linked.

Um, maybe because when the plane left he was sitting on it. If you volunteer and get put on the list, but still fly on the plane, that's pretty simple 1+1 = 2 kind of math.


Not really true. The no-show = lost ticket rule has been around for many years. Also there are plenty of times that a person is a no show for a flight because they checked in late, or the missed a connection. If they check in late, the airline doesn't normally forfeit the ticket (there are some exceptions such as Ryanair and the likes, but then again, look at them as a whole - 'nuff said)

Wrong. The contract stats that there is a possibility of a flight being oversold, and what will the airline do if that happens. Since this is stated in the terms, there is no reneging on the contract.

Some of them are profitable. And, with a very few exceptions those are also pricier airlines (due to the routes they fly.)