[pamagim]

Upon arriving home in PA from FL, I found my computer in my suitcase crushed and bent- completely demolished. As I further unpacked, I realized that the stiffening material in the suitcase was crushed. The suitcase, which had been in perfect condition, was ruined. I called Delta. All I had to do was, within 24 hours of landing, take the suitcase the 90 miles (one way) back to the airport so they could take a look at it. Then they would decide whether they would do anything about it. The crushed and bent laptop? Well, I should have known that Delta employes handle baggage savagely and brutally. I mean, a person should EXPECT that. The extent of the damage looks like the suitcase was literally run over by a truck. The part that amazes me is that THEY DON'T CARE. They are not interested in letting a customer know that such violent damage is unacceptable to them. That they will do SOMETHING to improve handling. They don't care that your baggage is tossed, dropped and slammed- well, ok. But that it is crushed, smashed and demolished- I think it should concern the business if they want to improve their bottom line and increase repeat business. SOMEBODY should want to look into it. It's just good practice for a business in dire need of improvement.
Also, 2 hours before our flight from Atlanta to Harrisburg, PA, we had boarding passes but no seating assignments. To be sure my wife and I wouldn't be bumped, I went to a Delta "service" counter and waited, and waited my turn. I finally asked the rep at the counter for an upgrade to first class. The price was $75 per seat, and I thought it was worth it for the guarantee of a seat as well as for the comfort. The guy at the counter said he couldn't upgrade, even though seats were available. I waited an hour, talked to a different rep, and offered cash, Mastercard, or Visa for two first class seats. No soap. We ended up in the last two seats- the bolt-upright ones with no window next to the engines. It's like sitting in a closet. All the while there were 3 unused seats in first class. DELTA JUST DOESN'T CARE

[jimworcs]

Delta are simply the worst for customer service. It is better to go with other carriers even if their schedule is not as good. In any event, file your complaint with Delta and copy it to the DOT. Take photographs of the case and the laptop. Include a report from someone like the GeekSquad stating the costs of repair/replacement and their evaluation of the cause of the damage. Even if you get nowhere with Delta, all this will stand you in good stead for a small claims court case. I think if you are persistent and forthright, you have a good chance. Make sure you letters of complaint are direct, straightforward but not insulting. It gives them an excuse to ignore you. I would make the point about not being able to buy the upgrade, but don't make too big a deal of it. The real issue is the bags. Good luck.

(BTW..there is a link to the DOT in the QuickLinks above.

[Researcher]

Dear user: I am developing a Doctoral research on Mishandled baggage (see General Discussion- Mishandled Baggage Research ) Could you please, provide the airline complaint form (minus personal information) you filled with the airline or send me an email to mishandledbaggageresearch@yahoo.com and I will send a survey. The survey is very similar to the one you must file with the airline and does not contain personal information.
Thanks before hand