[Gub]

Well, this is an ongoing experience - it is currently 1.30am and I am spening the night in Atlanta Internation airport. To sum up my experience, here is the email I just sent to Delta via their website. It isn't particularly eloquent, but I'm exhausted and just wanted an outlet to vent seeing as none of the employees here are interested. Here is our story...

I am currently sitting in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, experiencing what has been one of the worst travel experiences of my life. My journey started today at Richmond International Aiport where I boarded Flight DL5138 (departing 2.55pm) to Atlanta. From there I was meant to board Flight DL12 to London Gatwick departing (5.35pm).

Our nightmare jouney started when our first flight was delayed half an hour due to weight balance issues or something similar, that we were assured at the time was a mechanical error and not weather related, although this story would change later. We arrived at Atlanta late, but rushed to the gate for our second flight (DL12). As we arrived we were relieved to find the flight just beginning boarding. As we had boarding passes already we joined the queue to board, despite there being another queue at the desk of the gate, which we were told was for people who had missed earlier flights who were trying to get onto the current flight. Once we got to the front of he boarding queue we found our boarding passes rejected and were directed to join the other queue. We soon found out that our seats (30C and 30D) had been reassigned, and we were unable to get seats on that flight. We were however promised several times by the extremely uninterested staff that we would be able to get onto one of the two later fights, one also to Gatwick and one to Heathrow with no problems. Soon an extremely unpleasant gentlemen arrived, was rude to all the concerned customers waiting, shouted that he was closing the desk, and directed us to the desk at the gate of the next flight to Gatwick. After queueing up for that desk we were told we had not been reassigned seats on that flight and that it was full.

It was here I was treated to the single most unpleasant customer service of my life. A woman at the desk repeatedly 'shushed' me when I tried to ask what we should do, what was going on, why no one was willing to help us, and finally why our seats had been reassigned in the first place. I have never been spoken to in such an unpleasant, sarcastic, patronising way and hope I never shall again. In fact, several other customers standing nearby expressed shock and disbelief at the way this particular lady treated me, and when I asked her name so that I could make a complaint she refused to give it to me. I frequently fly long distance and have never experienced such treatment - I was shocked.

I then used one of the help phones to get in touch with a customer service rep, who booked my friend (friends name) and myself (my name) onto a flight leaving at 5.35pm Sunday this was at approximately 8pm Saturday. We were basically told that it was not Delta's problem and that we should just spend the night in the terminal - something I find myself doing right now and have never been expected to do before. I was angry but accepted it as a debacle of customer service, and just thought I would wait until I finally get back to England to complain to the UK CAA and the relevant EU authoirites.

My anger however escalted immeasurably when I later ran into a fellow customer who had in fact been behind me in the queue for the original flight. She had been given a complimentary hotel room for the night, as well as complimentary food vouchers. Of course when I went to complain I was told that as it was due to the weather that my original flight was delayed that I was due no compensation of any sort. They refused repeatedly to answer questions relating to why my tickets had been reassigned to someone else, why no one had explained the situation at the gate, why other people from the queue had been offered seats on the later flights whilst we had not, why I had been spoken to in such a digusting manner by a customer service rep, nor why other people who had arrived at the gate later than myself had been offered compensation.

Being a frequent long distance flyer I have experienced delays almost as severe with many other airlines and have never run into customer service as shockingly poor and uninterested as that I have experienced today. On other airlines I have been given accomodation, food vouchers, upgrades, and even been appologised to - none of which I have experienced nor been offered by Delta. In fact I've been shocked in the way that almost everyone I have spoken to has tried to pass me off on someone else or even shockingly tried to blame me for the situation. This behaviour is absolutely outrageous and I cannot believe I am receiving no compensation after Delta commited a series of mistakes that have culminated in myself and my friend spending a full night in the airport - with music still playing at almost one in the morning. It is simply unnaceptable and I will be complaining to all of the relevant authorities upon my final return to England.

I would like a reply to attempt to explain this incredibly poor customer service I have received, and why I have been offered no compensation nor even an appology by Delta for the events of today.

Furthermore, to add insult to injury, a woman on the telephone helpline gave me, after spending a full hour on the phone, the phone number (404-715-1450) of what she assured me was a 24 hour complaint hotine. Of course when I called it I found out it had been shut since 7pm, and I just couldn't face another hour on hold - a clever trick to get rid of a displeased customer.

I'm shocked and appauled my the ultimately unprofessional, unpleasant, and generally poor nature of the customer service I've received and very much doubt I will ever fly with your airline again. Even an apology would have gone a long way, instead I have been faced with aggression - completely unacceptable.

(As a quick addition, as I was writing this the gentleman who seemed to be in charge of the desk earlier and had misled and been rude to the waiting customers walked past joking with an older gentleman about the Gatwick flight situation - very professional)

(Signed my name)


Well, thats my story. What can I say, I'm shocked. Curently myself and my friend are taking turns sleeping on the floor - its currently her turn. I'm just shocked that they get away with treating customers so poorly. Never again.

Any advise for the best method of complaint when I eventually get back to England? If it matters any, my friend has also missed a connecting flight on another airline, and will have to pay for another flight.

Thanks for any help

Guy