DL took my seat .. their mistake .. then lied .. dumped me to fend for myself
 

Delta gave away my international business class seat because a Delta ticket agent failed to check me in properly 3 ½ hours earlier, then failed to deal with the mistake in a timely and reasonable manner, choosing instead to kick me off the flight with no warning and without consulting me. Then dumped me at the AA counter to deal with it on my own.
Sequence of Events
1. AA cancelled my flight 908, EZE-MIA, Friday night, July 1, 2011.
2. AA reservations agent booked DL 110 / 1772 business class EZE – ATL – MIA Saturday night, Jul 2, 2011. She called DL to do so. I waited 30 minutes for the transaction to be confirmed with Delta.
3. I called Delta the afternoon of July 2, to reconfirm. The flight also displayed appropriately online.
4. A Delta control agent called back later that afternoon to ask if I would accept $350 to give up my seat and rebook another day. I declined.
5. I checked in at Delta counter 3 1/2 hours prior to flight 110, Saturday night. I checked in without a problem.
6. One hour before departure, the Delta agent with whom I checked in, Maria (I believe), found me in the lounge and told me that my seat had been given to someone else because I had no paper ticket voucher from AA. I was not asked for a voucher when I checked in.
7. The Delta agent dumped me at the AA counter and said I was on my own, that I had to work something out with AA. They had no flights available until the 4th.
8. AA told me that DL needed no such “paper” voucher. That it’s not done that way anymore, that such transactions are handled electronically. The AA agent said it is standard practice for Delta to resolve such issues directly with AA either directly or by phone. The Delta counter is with 100 feet of the AA counter. The AA agent indicated that it would have taken 2 minutes to resolve the problem and showed me the Electronic ticket receipt (AA agent gave me a copy).

New at this Forum, timed out before I coul ask ...
 

In my view I had a contract with Delta and they failed to act reasonably to perform. I went for over 48 hours without sleep, spent several hundred dollars but most importnatly I lost 3 days and the 4th holiday with my family after traveling for a week. Does unreasonable behavior matter? Is there a chance of my pursuing punitive remedies that might send a message that might start to alter behavior that has become all too common with the new Delta? Or, must this be just another small claims case and a mere slap on the wrist?:confused:

This screams of dishonesty on Delta's part. The fact that you received a phone call prior to checking in with an an offer to relinquish your seat indicates, at least to me, that they overbooked the business class cabin and was looking for you to voluntarily change your departure. (By the way, an offer of $350 to bump a business class customer is laughable.) My guess is they made similar offers to others and when they did not get any volunteers decided to remove you because they could conveniently explain it away as AA's fault.

The bottom line is your were involuntarily denied boarding by Delta and as as such are entitled to denied boarding compensation by Delta. If the two days you lost as a result caused you losses or damages which can be proved I also suggest you seek to reclaim those in court but at the very least you should demand that delta pay you for the denied boarding compensation that you are entitled to.

I agree. Complain to the DOT and file suit in Smalls Claims Court