[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

The airline defenders on this board will, loudly, try to have us all believe that the Dallas - Atlanta segment of this trip is really a domestic flight, rather than one flight segment in an international journey. Delta has, already, been asked by Nigerian commercial aviation regulators to explain their anti-customer behavior. This incident may add to that list. Perhaps suspending Delta's landing rights in Nigeria may be the only thing that will gain Delta's attention. If Halliburton paid for the tickets, also complaining to their representative in Nigeria might be worthwhile. Given the anti-foreign hostility in the Nigerian Delta region, it's possible Halliburton/Nigeria might be amazingly responsive. If the ticket was a "super" deep discount type, that $1,000 charge COULD be possible. For an extra two or three hundred, over their cheapest ticket, Lufthansa will sell you a ticket that allows changes for less than $200. The refusal to "gate check" that carry-on MIGHT have been related to the fact that you were travelling international, or, more specifically, that gate staff do not have the ability/authority to collect excess baggage/overweight charges for international baggage. As to the threat to call the cops: The airline defenders on here will have everyone believe you were waiving a machete, and had grenades strapped to your belt--BUT they STILL let you board! On the chance that Nigerian regulators might not share that view, I would recommend filing a complaint in Lagos. Finally, next trip to America--I think you now realize that doing a connection, in Europe, is really not so bad after all! Again I'd go with Lufthansa, with Air France as a second choice. Sorry but, according to the NCAA, British Air is not all that Nigerian-friendly